Pokémon: Free and Heather's Adventures: Johto
by JohtoBlue
Summary: A story done for fun. Heather finally turns ten and is now able to get her first Pokemon. Come and read while Heather, her best friend Free, and their new companions, the bickering siblings, Deka and Clover, join them on their adventure through Johto. Cameos are made from my other stories.
1. It's Totally Totodile!

**A/N Welcome new readers and old! Just so you know, before you decide to read this awesome hunk of meat of a story, this chapter has been updated. We felt that the first chapter wasn't written very well, and was turning away new readers. So, we rewrote it! Now with that in mind, the preceding chapters may or may not be rewritten. Bear in mind that they will not be as well written as this chapter. But we do improve as we go!**

**Also, you may have noticed that I wrote 'we' a lot. That is because, JohtoBlue, is a group. Two main writers, an artist (sadly no longer around), and an additional writer. All updates and A/Ns are by Free, unless otherwise stated. This story is written by Heather, and the premise of the world was Heather's idea. Ari used to draw our cover photos, but that is no more. And Pokestets23 is one of our guest writers and brainstormers!**

**First Draft - June 21st 2010**

**First Edit - June 9th 2011**

**Final Draft - May 30th 2013**

**So, now that is over with, I introduce to you...**

**Free and Heather's Adventure! Johto**

* * *

><p>A ten-year-old girl dug her toes into the sand of the Newbark Town beach, watching as the incoming waves rose higher. The sun blazed brightly behind her, slipping behind clouds in the west. She longed to run into the water one more time, but it was becoming chilly out, and she had left her towel at home. Wind tangled tendrils of her dark hair, and she brushed them back behind her ears.<p>

"Yo, Heather! Look at this!" The girl's cousin, Splash, called from behind her.

Heather turned slowly, sighing as she took in the sight before her. Splash, who was six years older than Heather, was being held in the air by his Feraligatr. The large Pokémon, short for his species but making up for it in brawn, tossed Splash into the sea. The teenager ran back ashore, pushing his mop of wet, curly brown hair away from his forehead.

"Your Feraligatr must be really strong to be able to throw you! You're as tall as him!" Heather exclaimed. She had to look up to speak to Splash—he was a good two feet taller than her.

Splash laughed and ruffled her hair. He picked her slender body off the ground and spun her around in a circle. With a groan, Splash placed her back on the ground. "You're getting too big for me to do that."

"Splash! Why haven't you guys come back yet? There's a storm coming!" Heather's mom screamed, storming down the beach and interrupting the happy moment.

"Ah—what?" Splash asked, looking up at the sky. Sure enough, black clouds were rolling in from the west, and the wind was picking up.

"Yeah," Heather's mom replied sarcastically. "Splash, you better hurry home. Heather, let's get inside. I hope Free gets here soon, or he'll be soaked."

" , you two!" Splash sighed, returning Feraligatr and dashing off the beach in the direction of his home.

Heather's mom wrapped an arm around her daughter, pulling her in through the back door of their house, which was facing the beach.

From the darkening path entering in Newbark, a ten-year-old boy walked. He rubbed his arms, trying to warm them from the oncoming cold. He came to the sign that read 'Newbark Town' and smiled. After flicking his messing brown hair out of his face, he glanced down at his Pokémon.

"You ready for this Chikorita?" he asked his tiny green Pokémon.

"Chika!" she responded with a smile. She turned her head and frowned, taking notice of the clouds that were forming above them.

He nodded and reached down, pulling his small Pokémon to his chest. "I'll keep you warm!"

He zipped up his blue turtleneck and tucked Chikorita under his black undershirt. A small droplet of water fell from the darkening sky, pelting Free lightly on the nose.

"This isn't good!" he cried, running off into the small city while the rain fell harder.

He passed different neighborhoods, waving at all of the people who were gazing at the clouds. After rounding around a corner and dodging an oncoming car, he came to a white fence. Making sure that Chikorita was okay, he walked to the front porch and rang the doorbell.

Heather stuck her head through the blinds and smiled at him. "Free!"

"I'm cold! Let me in!"

"You are soaked," Heather's mom noted, taking one long glance at Free. He shivered while he pulled Chikorita out of his shirt. "Let's get your clothes dried."

Free glanced over at Heather and blanched. "But…"

"You can borrow some clothing until yours are done," Heather's mom interjected.

Heather smiled impishly. "You'd look adorable in one of my skirts!"

Free laughed while he slipped his turtleneck off, revealing his black, compression, tank top.

"Heather, go grab a pair of Merlin's pajamas."

"Free won't fit! Merlin's too fat!" Heather said with a chuckle. She ran down the hallway, and Free followed, going into one of the bathrooms. Heather brought back what clothing would fit Free. She handed him the clothing and he changed as fast as he could.

"It's no fair! Chikorita has a built-in umbrella," Free whined while he walked out of the bathroom wearing the worn out, blue pajamas.

"We're leaving tomorrow," Heather whispered to Free as she lay down beside him. Lightning flashed, lighting up her messy room, and the thunder that followed shook the house.

"How do you feel about that, you know being on your own?" Free whispered back as his Chikorita cuddled against him under the blanket.

"I won't be on my own—we're going to stay together, right?" She replied softly.

"Chika!" Chikorita answered for Free, as if saying they'd stay together through it all.

"Definitely. Man, I am not going to be able to sleep tonight!" Free exclaimed.

Heather shushed him, "Don't wake my mom up." She giggled. "I probably won't either."

"We should at least try," Free replied, rolling over.

"Yeah, night," Heather yawned, pulling the blanket over her head.

"Night."

"I cooked French toast!" Free shouted, waking Heather up from her dream of dancing in mud puddles with her Totodile she was hoping to receive.

"Happy Birthday, Heather!" Heather's mom said walking into her room with a plate of French toast.

"What time is it?" She asked sleepily, taking the plate and starting to eat. She winced as Free threw open her curtains, letting in the bright sun.

"Almost time to go!" Free replied, as Chikorita snuggled herself into his leg.

Heather gasped and shoveled the remainder of her French toast down her throat. Both trainers grabbed their bags, stopping in the kitchen of Heather's home to hand Heather's plate to her mother, and with a quick "see ya later!" they were off to Elm's lab.

The breeze ruffled Heather's dress as she pulled open her front door, and she had to hold down the aqua material so it would not blow up. Free tugged on the collar of his now-dry turtleneck that had been soaked in the rain the day previous.

The trainers took the scenic route to Professor Elm's laboratory which proved to be a bad decision. The dirt path was muddy from the previous night's rain, and the leaves of the trees still dripped water. However, the trainers were too excited to let mud get them down, and they abandoned their shoes and socks to splash in the muddy puddles barefoot.

The trainers grimaced as they approached the door of Elm's lab, looking down at their muddy feet. They glanced around, looking for any water to rinse their feet off with. To no avail, the trainers found nothing. Heather rang the bell for the lab and waited patiently for the professor to answer.

Soon, a thin man with wild brown hair answered. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his white lab coat, but he had an overall pleasant expression on his face.

"Hello!" The man greeted the two. He spotted Free and shook his hand. "Hello Free, it's good to see you again. How's Chikorita?"

"Fighting fit! I've been training her so she can fight against her own weaknesses," Free replied proudly.

"That's good, I like to hear that. I'm sure you're becoming a great Pokémon trainer. Chikorita seems very much attached to you," Professor Elm said, looking at the pair.

"Chika!" Chikorita replied happily.

Professor Elm nodded happily and turned to Heather, sticking out his hand. Heather returned the gesture and firmly shook it. "You're Heather, yes?"

"Yes, I'm Heather," she replied shyly, fiddling with her blue skirt.

"You're here for a Pokémon, correct?" Elm asked. Heather nodded.

"Good! Come on in, I'll show you what I've got!" Elm smiled, gesturing the two to step inside.

Free and Heather glanced down nervously at their feet and back to the professor. Elm frowned when they did not budge, but finally he looked down at the trainers' feet.

"Ah. You're feet are muddy," Elm noted. He glanced around in a panicked manner, looking for an outside source of water. When he could not find one, he sighed. "You two wait here. I'll be right back."

Within a minute, the professor returned with a Poké Ball in his hand. He pushed the center button, releasing a small, blue crocodile-like Pokémon. The Pokémon smiled jollily at the two trainers and waved. Heather cooed, nudging Free and trying to convey the cuteness she found in the Pokémon.

"This here is Totodile. He's one of the choices you'll have for your first Pokémon. But for now, he's just here to help you clean your feet!" Elm laughed, turning his attention towards the Totodile. "Totodile, give them a gentle Water Gun, if you will."

"Dile!" Totodile chanted, releasing a steady stream of water from his mouth, effectively rinsing the trainers' feet.

"I want this one!" Heather announced, kneeling down to shake the little Pokémon's hand. Totodile grinned at her, immediately taking a liking to the girl.

"Hold up, Heather! I think you should take a look at the other available Pokémon, too. If not for you, then to humor me at least," Elm said, guiding the children inside his lab.

He took them down a long hallway into a small room where a Poké Balls lay in the middle of some sort of Poké Ball holding machine. Professor Elm took the Poké Ball and pushed the button in the middle, releasing a Cyndaquil.

Elm first pointed to the fire-type. "This is Cyndaquil. She's a ruthless battler, perfect for any trainer who wants to be powerful. She doesn't listen at times, but with a bit of training, she'd be a fearsome opponent."

Cyndaquil glared at Heather, spitting a small ember to the ground at her feet. Heather frowned and kneeled down to the Pokémon's eye level. "Hey there, Cyndaquil. How are you?"

"Cynda!" Cyndaquil cried, blowing flames at Heather's feet. The girl jumped back, quickly making her decision.

"I've made my decision," Heather said, her voice shaking. "I'll take Totodile."

"Totodile, would you like to go on her Pokémon journey with Heather?" Professor Elm asked the water-type.

"Totodile!" Totodile replied excitedly, leaping into Heather's arms as the Professor handed her Totodile's Poké Ball.

"He's quite feisty," Professor Elm said as Totodile ran around Heather in circles. "I'm sure he'll be lots of fun on you two's journey."

"Thank you Professor Elm! I love him already," Heather exclaimed before returning Totodile to his Poké Ball. "Can we say goodbye to my mom before leaving?" She asked Free. He nodded and they left after a quick goodbye to Elm.

"Heather, thank goodness you're home! I almost forgot to give you your birthday present before you left," her mom said, shoving a box into her hands.

Heather opened it quickly, "A PokéGear!" She exclaimed.

"There's something else in there, honey," her mother added. Heather quickly put the PokéGear in her pocket before reaching back into the box and pulling out a string with some sort of hooks on it.

"What is it?" She asked, putting it around her neck.

"It's to put a Poké Ball on," she replied.

"Oh, like this?" Heather asked, clipping Totodile's Poké Ball on to it.

"Perfect! Now what are you two waiting for? You should be out on your adventure!" Heather's mom said, pushing her daughter and her friend out the door.

"Are you ready for this?" Heather asked taking a deep breath and looking up to Free.

Free zipped up his turtleneck and grinned. "I'm beyond ready."

* * *

><p><strong>AN So tell us what you think of this chapter in a review! We always appreciate them. Also, tell us if you think we should rewrite other chapters. We won't do all of them, but if you read one and you think "This chapter would be awesome if it was rewritten!" then say so!**

**Much love, JohtoBlue.**


	2. To Battle Without Restraint

_Crack._ "Did you hear that?" Heather asked uncertainly as the two made their way to Cherrygrove, Free's home town.

"Hear what?" Free replied, looking around frantically while the goggles he wore on his head shifted around in his hair.

"I heard something snap and I've been getting that creepy feeling someone is watching us," she answered nervously.

"Chikorita, prepare. Just in case," Free whispered to his Pokémon.

"Chika…" Chikorita growled, looking around for any sign of danger.

"Coo-coo-coo…" A Pidgey flew out from behind a bush.

"It was only a Pidgey, Heather," Free said, sighing.

"Oh, that's good. I felt like someone was watching us," she replied, even though she wasn't too sure it was _just_ a Pidgey.

_Ring ring. Ring ring._ Heather reached in her pocket and pulled out her PokéGear.

"Hello, Professor Elm!" She answered cheerily.

"Yes. Hello, Heather?" He replied sounding very stressed. "We're having a bit of crisis at the lab. It seems someone broke in and stole a Pokémon I had received from Professor Rowan in the Sinnoh region. A few people came in to tell me that they had seen a redheaded boy staring into the lab window earlier, and a few said they saw a redheaded boy fleeing from the lab just minutes ago."

"So do you want us to be on the lookout for him?" Heather asked, getting scared.

"Yes, but I'd advise you to stay away. He could be dangerous," Professor Elm warned. "But call me if you see anyone like that."

"We will, Professor," she replied, and ended the call.

"What happened?" Free asked.

"A Pokémon got stolen from Professor Elm's lab. He said a lot of people told him it was a redheaded boy, and we're supposed to lookout for him," Heather said as they continued walking. Minutes passed while they were both thinking about the red headed thief.

"So what's Cherrygrove like?" Heather asked after awhile. She had never been there because her mom had never allowed her to go there on her own.

"It's really beautiful. The people are nice, it has a pretty river, and−" Free was cut off by shouting coming from behind a few trees.

"Chimchar, scratch it!" A boy's voice yelled angrily.

"Caw… caw…" a Pidgey called in distress.

"Burn it with ember!" He called to his Pokémon.

Free and Heather quietly pushed their way through the bushes and trees to watch. There was a redheaded boy standing in a small clearing in the trees, ordering a Pokémon to hurt the poor bird. The Pidgey was badly hurt.

"Hey, you! Why are you being so mean to that Pidgey?" Free demanded, stepping forward from behind the tree. The redheaded boy called his Pokémon back to him before turning around to face the two friends. Heather also stepped up from behind the tree, holding on to her necklace, not knowing if she'd need her Totodile to defend her.

"What's it to you?" The boy rudely replied.

"Enough for me to ask! Chikorita, get ready," Free shouted back at the boy as Chikorita stepped in front of him, ready to battle.

"So, a battle is it? Chimchar, go!" He barked.

"Chikorita, use vine whip!" Free ordered.

"Chika!" Chikorita replied, sending vines towards Chimchar.

"Chimchar, dodge it and use flamethrower!" The boy yelled out as Chimchar avoided the vines and sent a blast of fire that hit Chikorita.

"No! Chikorita!" Free cried, as he rushed forward to pick her up. He looked to Heather for help. "Heather! You stand more of a chance against him! He has a fire-type, and you have Totodile!"

Heather nodded as she ripped her Poké Ball off her necklace and threw it into battle. "Go, Totodile!"

"You can easily beat that wimp, Chimchar! Use flamethrower again," the redhead commanded.

"Hurry, Totodile! Use water gun!" Heather shouted to Totodile. Totodile immediately put out the flames with a burst of water before sending another burst of water at the boy's Chimchar, knocking it backwards.

"Chimchar, get up! Use flamethrower again, and don't miss," he called out.

"Use water gun again, Totodile!" Heather shouted. "Then bite him while he's down!"

"Totodile!" he cried out, answering Heather as he shot another blast of water at Chimchar before he got a chance to attack, knocking him back down. Totodile ran to Chimchar and bit him.

"Get out of his mouth, Chimchar!" The redheaded boy yelled. Chimchar struggled, but Totodile held tight. After a few more moments of struggling, Chimchar gave in.

"Return, Chimchar!" The boy called, holding out his Poké Ball. The red beam returned his exhausted Pokémon. He started to run off into the forest, but he turned around and said, "This won't be the last you'll see of me!"

And then he was gone.


	3. Presents!

"Fierce… What is that guy's problem?" Free asked Heather, carrying his badly injured Pokémon.

"I don't know… Do you think he was the redheaded kid Professor Elm was talking about?" She replied, pulling out her PokéGear. "I should call him, shouldn't I?"

Free nodded and looked down at his injured Chikorita. "Chika…" she said softly.

"Don't worry, Chikorita. We'll get to a Pokémon Center soon," he whispered.

"Hello, Professor Elm?" She said once he had picked up.

"Hello, Heather. Have you seen anything yet?" He replied.

"Yes, we think so. We just ran into a redheaded kid. He had a Pokémon with him. I think it was a Chimchar. We battled him, but he ran off," she replied quickly.

"Oh, goodness! That was the Pokémon that was stolen! Is either of you two hurt? How are your Pokémon?" He asked, concern filling his voice.

"Totodile and I are fine. Free's okay too, but his Chikorita got pretty beaten up," she said._ Crunch_. Her foot stepped on something plastic that was on the ground. "Could you hold on for just a second, Professor Elm?" She asked as she bent down to see what it was.

Picking it up, she saw it was the redheaded boy's trainer card. _Spade Deno_, it read under "NAME."

"Hey, I just found the boy's Trainer Card lying on the ground. He must've dropped it," she said to Professor Elm. "His name is Spade. Spade Deno."

"Well, you two watch out for him, and if you find anything else out, don't hesitate to call me," he replied, just before he hung up.

"That was the boy who stole the Pokémon, wasn't it?" Free asked, referring to the redhead the two had battled.

Heather nodded. "Should we keep the trainer card?"

"Yes, then we'll have a reason to face him again!" Free answered, pulling his Chikorita closer, still angry that Spade had hurt his Pokémon so badly. "Hey look, there's Cherrygrove right over there!"

Free and Heather started to run to Free's hometown, excited to finally be there.

"Do you mind if we stop at my dad's house before we head on?" Free asked once they had stepped into the small town.

"Not at all," Heather replied as the two began to run in a new direction to Free's house. When they finally got there, Free pushed open the front door to see two men sitting at a table. The younger man was big around the middle with black, shot hair and a short beard. The older man was also big around the middle, with a shiny head and big glasses.

"Oh Free! …and Heather, right? I remembered! What are you two doing today?" Free's dad asked as they walked in.

"I told you, dad. I'm leaving on my journey today. It's Heather's birthday. We're heading out now," Free responded.

"Not like that you're not!" His dad motioned towards Free's hurt Pokémon.

"You should give her some rest," Free's grandfather said, taking his Chikorita and spraying a potion on her.

"So, Heather. It is your birthday today, huh? I thought something special was happening today, but I couldn't remember," Free's father said as Chikorita began to feel much better.

"Yep! I'm so excited to finally leave home!" Heather replied smiling.

"You should be! I remember when I first started my Pokémon journey I left off with a Totodile. What did you pick, Heather?"

Heather grasped the Poké Ball on her necklace and smiled bigger. "I got a Totodile, too!"

"Good choice! He will be very loyal to you and Totodile's are totally strong. Hm… I have some gifts for you two since you are starting your journey," Free's dad said, pulling out two small boxes and handing them to the pair, who opened them immediately.

"Dad… It's a Luxury Ball! That means the Pokémon we catch in these will become more friendly!" Free shouted happily. The two put their gifts in their bags while Free's grandpa stood up and walked to Heather.

"Oh, and here is a gift for the birthday girl," he said, puling something out of his pocket. "It is a map chip for your PokéGear!"

Heather reached out for it. "Thank you! I'll put it in right now!"

Heather inserted the map chip into her PokéGear, grunting when it wouldn't quite go in the slot. When she succeeded, she threw her hands into the air in triumph.

Just then, Chikorita got up and began to run around Free's feet.

"Chika!" She yelled excitedly, obviously feeling much better.

"Well, Chikorita is ready. We're ready too, so… let's go!" Free said as Chikorita, Heather, and him ran out the door eager to start their adventure.


	4. It's Time for Redemption!

"No way! Chikorita is way better than Totodile! It's a grass-type, and it could take down your Totodile easily!" Free argued as the two walked down a path that led to Violet City.

"Yeah, that's why she got defeated so easily by that Spade guy's Chimchar!" Heather replied, defending her Pokémon and holding on to the Poké Ball on her necklace. "Which my Totodile defeated in a couple of hits."

"That's because Chimchar is a fire-type, and Totodile is a water-type. You had the advantage in that battle," he retorted.

"Chika!" Chikorita agreed, looking hurt.

"I'm sorry, Chikorita," Heather apologized. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I agree with Free, and you're Pokémon probably sucks, Heather," a girl announced from behind the young trainers, who both turned around to see a girl with a chimp-like face and long brown hair.

"Uh oh… it's the devil," Free whispered when he saw the girl who he used to be best friends with in school before he met Heather. Lauren and Heather have hated each other ever since then.

"Hey! Who asked you, Lauren?" Heather yelled to her.

"Nobody asked me, I'm just speaking the truth," she replied smugly. "You're just another awful Pokémon trainer with a weak Pokémon."

"Hey, that 'weak' Pokémon saved my Chikorita!" Free shouted back to her, defending his friend and her Pokémon.

"Wow, Free. I expected more from you and your Pokémon. Why don't we have a battle to see who the real weak one is?" She answered coldly, taking a Poké Ball off of her belt and gripping it tightly.

"Agreed! But if I win, you leave us alone," Free said as Chikorita stepped in front of him, eager to redeem herself from losing the last battle.

"We'll see," Lauren whispered just loud enough for the two to hear as she threw her Poké Ball. "Spinarak, go!"

"Qui qua…" it said softly, ready for battle.

"Chikorita, tackle it!" Free commanded as the battle began.

"Spinarak, stop it by using string shot," she ordered. Spinarak obeyed, shooting its sticky web at Free's Chikorita. The string wrapped around Chikorita's legs, disabling it from moving.

"Chikorita! Cut your way out using razor leaf!" Free cried out.

"Chika!" Chikorita replied, as it sent leaves flying and cut herself free of Spinarak's attack.

"Now use vine whip to throw it at that tree," Free shouted, pointing at a tree a few feet from where they were standing.

"Hurry, Spinarak! Run! Dodge the attack," Lauren yelled, but it was too late. Chikorita was too fast for Lauren's Spinarak. Her vines had already wrapped themselves around Spinarak's body before it had a chance to run.

"Try to wiggle yourself free," she said to her Pokémon. Chikorita made her grip on the Pokémon tighter before swinging the vines full force at the tree and letting Spinarak fly into it.

"Good job, Chikorita! Do it again!" Free commanded.

"Climb up the tree, Spinarak!" Lauren shouted quickly. Spinarak climbed up the trunk fast before climbing out on one of the limbs. "Now use leech life."

"Cut down its branch with razor leaf, Chikorita, and hurry!" Free yelled. Chikorita sent leaves flying to cut down the branch. She managed to cut it down, but not before she got hit by Spinarak's attack.

"Chika…" she cried out in pain, the poison sinking in.

"You can do it, Chikorita! I know you can!" Free exclaimed. As soon as Chikorita heard those words, she pushed herself up once more and grabbed Spinarak with vine whip once more and slammed it once more into the tree.

"Spinarak! Get up!" Lauren yelled, but Spinarak was finished. "Spinarak, return!" The Pokémon returned to its Poké Ball.

"Now will you leave us alone?" Free asked, rushing over to help his Chikorita.

"For now," she whispered mischievously before disappearing into the trees. Free watched, and then noticed his older brother Fai, an older, skinnier version of Free with more manageable hair, standing just beside where Lauren was seconds before.

"Fai! Did you see the battle? What did you think of it?" Free asked excitedly.

Instead of answering, Fai steadily gazed at Free with cold, silent eyes, and walked away.


	5. The Great Mr Pokémon! Part One

"Come on, Free, cheer up! You'll have another chance to show your brother how good of a trainer you really are," Heather told her friend as they continued on the path to Violet City. The encounter with his brother was still upsetting him.

"Yeah… I will. Fai, when I return, I'm going to beat you!" Free shouted into the empty field to his brother, Fai, the Cherrygrove gym leader, frightening a few Pidgey's out of a nearby tree. The two continued to walk in silence until the sun began to set.

"We should probably find somewhere to make camp for the night," Heather said, looking at the sky as it began to get darker.

"There's a tree over there we could sleep under," Free suggested, pointing at a tall tree in the middle of the clearing they were in that would provide plenty of protection. They began to set up camp and there was still some light left by the time they were finished.

"So, Heather, are there any other Pokémon you'd want to catch?" Free asked as they lay next to each other and watched Heather's Totodile run around and play with his Chikorita.

"I really want a Girafarig," she said thoughtfully, also watching her Pokémon playing happily.

"Isn't that the Pokémon with two heads?" Free replied, laughing as Chikorita tackled Totodile playfully.

"Yeah, but I think it's cute," Heather sighed as Totodile became tired and laid down next to her, snuggling into her side as Chikorita did the same with Free. "What about you? What do you want to catch?"

"I'm wanting to get myself a Heracross," he yawned. "But they're supposed to be really rare…"

Heather didn't respond. She had already drifted off to sleep, along with Totodile, exhausted from the long day of walking. Free and Chikorita joined them seconds after.

* * *

><p>"Stop thieves!" A man's voice called into the night, waking up Totodile and Chikorita who proceeded to wake up their trainers.<p>

"What is it, Totodile?" Heather asked, tired and not quite aware of what was going on.

"Thieves! Give that back at once!" The man's voice cried from not too far away. A window shattering broke the night's silence along with several pairs of feet pounding their way through the forest towards the young trainers.

"I think they're coming this way," Heather whispered, hoping they didn't hear. Free motioned for her and the Pokémon to hide behind the tree just as the thieves stepped into the clearing.

"What a crazy old man, thinking he could mess with Team Rocket. He didn't stand a chance," a girl with long brown hair and a blank expression on her face in a black uniform with an "R" on the front complained to the other three that followed.

"Yeah, but we got the egg anyways," a man chuckled.

"One egg isn't good enough to bring Team Rocket back together, Jake," another man murmured. "But you're right, Jada; Mr. Pokémon didn't know what hit him."

The fourth man just followed along silently, holding a Pokémon egg as his team members argued.

"Mr. Pokémon is a Pokémon expert, Heather. A Pokémaniac, so to speak. No wonder they stole something from him," Free whispered. "But those guys, they said they're members of Team Rocket…"

"But didn't they disband three years ago?" Heather finished for him. "We have to stop them!"

"Chikorita, use vine whip to wrap them up. We should go get Mr. Pokémon," Free spoke softly.

"Totodile, help Chikorita if anything goes wrong," Heather said to her Pokémon.

"Chika!" Chikorita said quietly.

"Totodile!" Totodile replied confidently, as Chikorita snuck her vines around the tree.

"Hey!"

"What the−"

"Ow!"

"What was that?" The Team Rocket members asked as the vines whipped them and wrapped tightly around their bodies. Totodile and Chikorita stepped forward.

"They're just two Pokémon! What do they think they're doing messing with Team Rocket?" The girl member, Jada screamed angrily.

"I dropped the egg!" The silent one finally spoke.

"Now's our chance to sneak around them and get Mr. Pokémon," Free said just as an old man joined them in the clearing.

"There you are thieves! I see you're all tied up. That'll show you to steal anything from me," Mr. Pokémon announce from between the trees.


	6. The Great Mr Pokémon! Part Two

"Mr. Pokémon?" Heather wondered aloud, coming out from behind the tree. She stared curiously at the old man in a ruffled brown suit and a matching brown hat that covered his graying hair.

"Ah, yes. Are you the trainer of these fine Pokémon?" Mr. Pokémon asked, gesturing towards Chikorita and Totodile.

"Totodile is mine, but Chikorita is my friend, Free's," Heather replied, pointing behind the tree as Free came out.

"You mean this was actually set up?" One of the Team Rocket members shouted as he struggled to get out. Chikorita just held on tighter while Totodile watched, amused.

"No, of course it wasn't set up! I just happened to get lucky these nice young trainers were in the forest," Mr. Pokémon replied, laughing to himself and walking over to where the egg was laying. "I'll be taking this back, by the way."

"You can have your Pokémon let go now, Free," Mr. Pokémon added as the four thieves struggled to get loose.

"Chikorita, you can let up now," Free commanded as Mr. Pokémon said to do, but Team Rocket had other things on their mind than running away.

"We want that egg back!" The girl member shouted, throwing a Poké Ball towards Mr. Pokémon. "Go, Abra!

"Go, Swinub!" Jake, one of the male members said, also throwing a Poké Ball.

"Totodile, stop them!" Heather yelled. "Use bite on her Abra!"

"Totodile!" Totodile cried, excited for battle.

"Heather, if we tag up Chikorita and Totodile, this battle will be a piece of cake," Free suggested and Heather nodded, agreeing.

"Chikorita! Razor leaf!" Free shouted. Chikorita sent leaves flying at both Swinub and Abra, careful not to hit Totodile.

"Abra, teleport out of there and grab Chikorita from behind!" Jada ordered. Abra was quick and grabbed Free's Pokémon before she had time to escape.

"Swinub, use powdered snow and freeze Chikorita," Jake commanded, knowing Chikorita wouldn't stand a chance against the ice attack. Right before it hit, Totodile jumped in and took the blow.

"Good job, Totodile!" Heather cheered, knowing Swinub's attack had little effect on her water-type. "Now, Totodile, blast Abra with your water gun!"

"Chikorita, use vine whip on Swinub!" Free shouted as Totodile's water gun blasted Abra back into a tree.

"Chika!" She screamed as she began hitting Swinub with her vines. Swinub was bound to give in soon.

"Totodile, help Chikorita out!" Heather said. Totodile obeyed and charged at the Swinub.

"Swinub, return!" Jake gave in, holding out his Poké Ball.

"Abra, you too," Jada commanded, knowing they were going to lose the battle. "You'll be sorry for messing with Team Rocket, kids," she yelled, as the four ran out of the clearing.

"Cowards! Couldn't even finish the fight," Mr. Pokémon said. "But you young trainers, I can't thank you and your Pokémon enough for saving this egg!"

"It was no trouble," Heather replied, excited from the battle. "But why did they want it? Is there a rare Pokémon in that egg?"

"Honestly, I have no idea what's in it. I found it abandoned in the forest the other day. But for helping me, I'd like you two to have it," he answered, handing Free the egg.

"You should keep it, Heather. You're Totodile just saved my Chikorita again," Free thanked his friend, handing her the egg. She smiled, holding her new Pokémon egg close to her. Free and Heather both let out a big yawn.

"My, my, kids. It's very late out. Certainly past your bed time! Would you two like to stay at my house and rest for a bit? I have an important guest coming this morning, and I think he'd like to meet you two extraordinary trainers," he asked, watching as the sun came up.

"Sure thing, Mr. Pokémon," Free replied, as Mr. Pokémon led them out of the clearing and to his house.


	7. Dexter and the Professor

All was quiet in the house of Mr. Pokémon as the two trainers slept soundly in a guest room. Chikorita lightly snored as she pushed herself more into her trainer, making herself more comfortable. Heather was curled around the Pokémon egg she had received earlier that morning.

_Ding dong._ A doorbell chimed throughout the house. Footsteps clunked down the hallway and a door creaked open.

"Professor Oak! You're early!" Mr. Pokémon exclaimed. "Please, come in."

"Sorry about not giving you warning before I got here," Professor Oak apologized, stepping into the house as he closed the door behind him. "I had stayed in Violet City last night and on the way over here early this morning, an angry Ariados decided to chase me most of the way here!"

"Oh that's quite all right," Mr. Pokémon nodded. "Come this way. I have some young trainers I would like you to meet."

"Good morning, children!" Mr. Pokémon announced from the doorway of the guest room.

Heather was the only one who responded; she rolled over and sat up, rubbing her eyes. She then proceeded to look around the room in a daze until her eyes rested on Mr. Pokémon.

"Good morning," she replied, holding the Pokémon egg to her chest.

"I have an important guest I would like you to meet, if you don't mind waking your friend up," he gestured to Free.

Heather turned and shook her friend, "Time to wake up!"

"Am I still asleep?" Free yawned as Chikorita jumped off the bed, in the sudden disturbance.

"No, you're awake," Heather laughed softly. "Mr. Pokémon has someone he wants us to meet."

Free stretched and rolled off the bed and stood for a moment, taking in his surroundings.

"He's in the living room, kids," Mr. Pokémon said, motioning for Free and Heather to follow him. They both stumbled sleepily after him.

"Ah, are these the young trainers you mentioned?" Professor Oak asked. He was sitting in a large arm chair facing the two trainers. Mr. Pokémon nodded in answer. "Hello, I'm Professor Oak. And you are?"

"I'm Free, and this is Chikorita!" Free replied excitedly.

"And you, young lady?" Professor Oak asked.

"I'm Heather," she said shyly. Mr. Pokémon then began to speak.

"Yes, they helped me out quite a bit last night. I had a run in with Team Rocket who tried to steal an egg from me. These two fought bravely and managed to get it back. As a reward I gave the egg to them," Mr. Pokémon explained, pointing to Heather who was clutching the egg as if where her own baby.

"Team Rocket, you say? Didn't they break up three years ago?" Professor Oaks shook his head. "Unbelievable! And you say they had a Pokémon battle?"

"Yes and a very good one at that," he replied, patting Free on the back.

"Chika!" Chikorita said proudly.

"They seem like two very capable young trainers," Professor nodded, scanning Heather and Free. "Have you two thought about collecting the gym badges?"

"Yes, we're heading to Violet City to get the gym badge from Falkner," Heather said confidently. Free nodded in agreement.

"Ah, he likes flying-type Pokémon. That will be a challenge for your Chikorita, Free. What Pokémon do you have, Heather?" Professor Oak asked.

"I have a Totodile," she stated.

"I see. Maybe one of you should consider catching an electric Pokémon?" Professor Oak suggested. "An electric-type would be useful in that gym battle."

"If we find any on the way, I'm sure one of us could," Heather replied.

"Well I don't need an electric Pokémon! I've got Chikorita," Free argued, gesturing to his Pokémon.

"Glad to see you are confident in your Pokémon," Professor Oak smiled, and then glanced at the clock. "You two should leave for Violet City soon if you want to get there before nightfall."

Heather looked at the clock, and nodded. "We should go."

"To Violet City!" Free shouted as the two began to run out the door.

"Hold on just a second!" Professor Oak called after the two trainers. "I have something I want to give you guys!"

"What is it, Professor?" Heather asked curiously. Professor Oak reached into one of his lab coat pockets and pulled out a shiny, red, rectangular device.

"This is a Pokédex," Professor Oak replied. "It'll give you any information you need on wild or tame Pokémon you come across. It may not have much to offer if you encounter a rare Pokémon, but we have a little something on almost every one!"

"Awesome!" Free shouted, accepting the new device and putting it in his bag.

"Thanks, Mr. Pokémon and nice meeting you and Professor Oak, too!" Heather said before running off with Free. "Maybe we'll see you again!"

The two men chuckled. "I'll see you two again," Professor Oak said. "You two will go far."


	8. Readying Redemption!

"So how are you gonna beat Falkner?" Heather asked as the two trainers walked on a path to Violet City.

"I got a trick up my sleeve with Chikorita… she knows synthesis," Free whispered, as if someone would hear him although there was clearly no one else around.

"Oh, I don't know if my Totodile can beat him. He doesn't know anything special," Heather replied sadly.

"You could teach Totodile ice beam," Free suggested. "That would easily take down his flying-types."

"I don't think we have that much t−"

"Baa… baa…" Something rustled in some tall grass a few feet away from the trainers. It sounded hurt.

"What was that?" Free asked, looking around.

"It came from that grass," Heather stated, pointing towards the rustling grass.

"Baa…" it cried weakly.

"It sounds hurt," Heather said, handing Free her Pokémon egg to hold and walking towards whatever it was. She parted the grass and found a small Pokémon lying on the ground helplessly. It was covered in many small cuts and bruises, and what looked like a bad burn.

Free pulled out his Pokédex and pointed it at the hurt Pokémon.

"Mareep, the Wool Pokémon. Electric-type," it read.

Picking up the Mareep gently, she turned to Free.

"Are you going to take it to the Pokémon Center?" Free asked. Heather nodded looking down at the badly injured Pokémon in her arms. It was barely breathing.

"We better hurry," she sighed, as the two began to run to Violet City. Minutes passed, and several times Heather had felt the Mareep's breathing slowing more.

"You can make it," she whispered to it, running even faster. It opened its eyes for a second, looking into her face before they closed once more. Heather hoped it wasn't for good, but she could still feel it breathing. Soon a town came into view. Heather and Free rushed into it, out of breath.

"Where's the Pokémon Center?" Free gasped, trying to catch his breath as he pulled Heather to a stop.

"I don't know, but we have to find it soon!" She shouted, breathing hard. She felt Mareep shudder in her arms. "I don't know how much longer she's going to make it."

"The Pokémon Center? Why, it's right over there," a man said pointing around a corner.

"Thank you so much," Heather replied, running towards where he pointed with Free following close behind.

"Excuse me! I have an emergency!" Heather yelled at the front desk. A nurse came forward.

"Oh dear, what happened?" She asked concerned, examining the Pokémon.

"I'm not sure. My friend and I found the Pokémon in a patch of grass on the way here. It was badly hurt, so I carried it here," Heather explained quickly.

"I'll treat it right away. It doesn't look like she'll make it much longer. You can wait right out here if you want," the nurse replied taking the Mareep out of Heather's hands and running down a hall. Mareep opened her eyes and looked down the hallway at Heather.

"Baa…" It moaned.

After an hour of waiting in silence, Free finally spoke, "I'm gonna go outside and train."

Heather nodded. "I'm going to stay here and wait for Mareep."

Free walked out the door.

"Are you ready to train against some flying-types, Chikorita?" He asked once he was outside.

"Chika!" Chikorita replied enthusiastically.

Suddenly a Spearow flew over their heads. "Get ready for battle, Chikorita!"

"Caw!" Spearow charged with a diving peck attack.

"Chikorita! Use vine whip!" Free commanded.

Chikorita wrapped its vines around Spearow's beak and threw it into the ground. The Spearow then struggled before it flew off and away.

"Come on, Chikorita. Let's go find another one," Free said, marching into the forest. They didn't have to look long because soon a Spearow attacked them. It pecked at Chikorita and swooped around, hitting it with its wings, hurting Chikorita.

"It's time to use synthesis, Chikorita, when it flies back up," Free ordered. Chikorita stood up, gathering energy from the sun and giving it strength. "Now use razor leaf!" Obeying, Chikorita sent leaves that cut into the Spearow that had chosen an unlucky time to dive back at the Pokémon. Spearow fell to the ground, defeated.

"Good job, Chikorita," Free said after another hour of training, picking up his slightly injured Pokémon. "I think we did some good training, but we should go check on Heather at the Pokémon Center."


	9. Mareep's Miraculous Recovery!

"Mareep is going to be just fine," Nurse Joy announced. "Of course, she's going to need just a little more time for a full recovery. It's a good thing you brought her in when you did. Poor thing almost didn't make it."

"Oh thank goodness," Heather sighed in relief. She had been waiting a few hours to hear if the Mareep was going to be okay.

"Is Mareep doing any better, Heather?" Free asked, running into the Pokémon Center.

"Chika!" Chikorita cried, also concerned.

"Yeah, Nurse Joy just told me that she's going to be alright. Mareep just needs a little more rest before we can let her go," Heather replied, looking down the hall where Mareep was resting.

"You two can go in there, if you want. Just be quiet and try not to excite Mareep," Nurse Joy said. Heather looked at Free who nodded and they both followed her down the hallway. They stopped at a door that Nurse Joy unlocked and she motioned for them to go in before she quietly shut the door.

"Maaareeep," Mareep cried, sounding much stronger as she saw Heather. Mareep was hooked up to a few machines, but otherwise looked a lot better.

"Hey, Mareep," Heather whispered, pulling up a chair from the side of the room next to the bed where Mareep was lying. "How are you doing?"

"Baa!" Mareep smiled, trying to get up before tripping over a sheet and falling.

"You better just stay down for now," Heather murmured to Mareep. "You're not fully recovered yet. When you are, we can let you back into the wild."

Mareep looked sad. "Baa…" It complained, getting up and nudging Heather with its nose.

"Oh it's okay, Mareep. Everything will be alright," Heather replied, stroking the Pokémon. The door suddenly swung open.

"I know I just let you guys in here, but I forgot to do a few tests," Nurse Joy apologized. "Could I please ask for you to wait a little more in the lobby? I could tell you when I'm finished."

"Sure thing, Nurse Joy," Heather replied, getting up and walking out the door with Free following.

The two trainers sat in the lobby, discussing their tactics for the gym battle they would soon face before an all too familiar face stepped into the Pokémon Center.

"It's you! Spade Deno!" Free shouted, jumping out of his seat.

"What do you losers want? I mean, it's bad enough my Pokémon is hurt, and I lost my trainer card in the forest," he grumbled, walking to the front desk.

"I have your trainer card," Free said, pulling it out of his pocket. "You can have it back if you have a rematch against me for it."

"Ha! Sure, I'll take you down faster than I did last time," Spade chuckled, ringing the bell impatiently.

"Nurse Joy is busy," Heather whispered to Spade, annoyed at the ringing bell. Just then, she stepped out of Mareep's room holding the Pokémon.

"Maaaareeep!" Mareep growled angrily when she saw Spade.

"No, it couldn't be," Spade said under his breath. Mareep jumped out of Nurse Joy's arms and started walking towards Spade, angry electric sparks flying from its fur.

"You're that Mareep my Chimchar beat up in the forest!" He exclaimed, stepping backwards. "Don't think I won't do it again!"

"You're the person who did this to Mareep?" Nurse Joy asked, her voice wavering. "You almost killed it! You should have more responsibility as a Pokémon trainer! It's a good thing these two trainers showed up when they did, or this Pokémon would be dead!"

"Okay, lady. Calm down," Spade muttered, putting his hands up. Mareep ran after him, more sparks flying. He ran right out the door with Mareep chasing him and Heather and Free not far behind.

Mareep and Spade got ahead of them quite a bit; they both ran very fast. When the two trainers finally caught up, Mareep was just sitting in front of the forest, baaing.

"He got away," Free muttered, looking down at the ground.

"Mareep, you can go back into the forest, now," Heather whispered. Mareep stood up, and looked between Heather and the trees.

"Mareeeep…" she replied, rubbing her head against Heather's leg.

"I think she wants to go with you," Free said, gesturing to Mareep.

"Do you want to come with us, Mareep?" Heather asked, pulling out a Poké Ball. Mareep nodded and jumped to push the button on the ball, capturing it.

"I just caught a Mareep!" Heather yelled excitedly. The sound of clapping came out of the forest.

"Well done," Spade said sarcastically, stepping out from behind a tree and holding out his Poké Ball. "Don't think I forgot about our rematch, Free."


	10. Can you Take the Heat?

"I demand the rematch… Chikorita, are you ready?" Free asked his Pokémon.

"Chika!" Chikorita replied, stepping into a battle stance.

"Go, Monferno!" Spade shouted, throwing his Poké Ball.

"It evolved!" Heather screamed, pointing at Monferno.

"Yeah, Chikorita doesn't stand a chance," Spade replied, hearing Heather's comment.

"We'll see," Free muttered, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Monferno, the Playful Pokémon. Dual fire and fighting-type.

"Oh, so he now he is a fire AND fighting type instead of just a fire type like Chimchar," Free noted.

"Monferno, flamethrower!" Spade commanded. Monferno sent a burst of flames burning towards Chikorita.

"Dodge, Chikorita!" Free yelled. Chikorita rolled out of the path of the flames just in time.

"Start digging underground," Spade ordered his Pokémon. Monferno dug fast and was soon deep underground.

"Be careful, Chikorita! He could pop out at any moment," Free warned, and then whispered so only Chikorita could hear, "But when he does, use razor leaf."

Chikorita nodded and Spade didn't notice a thing. Monferno soon burst through the ground, sending dirt flying everywhere. Chikorita responded immediately, her leaves flying and cutting into Monferno.

"Monferno, get out of there!" Spade ordered and Monferno rolled away swiftly. "Charge with mach punch!"

Monferno's fist collided so fast with Chikorita, it was barely seen. Chikorita was sent flying back to her trainer. She landed on the ground with a loud _thud._

"Chikorita!" Free yelled, worried about his Pokémon. "There is where the fighting-type kicks in…"

"Chi…ka…" Chikorita struggled to get back up.

"Good, Chikorita. Go ahead and use synthesis," Free commanded. Chikorita raised her leaf in the air and began to absorb the sunlight and soon her wounds were healed.

"Chika!" Chikorita cried into the air, still stealing the sun's energy.

"All right, Chikorita. Now use razor leaf again!" Free smiled and told his Pokémon. Chikorita flung a leaf at Monferno, who screamed.

"What are you doing to my Pokémon?" Spade exclaimed, a look of horror on his face. Free ignored the question and continued the battle.

"Chikorita, now use mega drain!" Free ordered. Chikorita closed her eyes and began taking energy from Monferno, who continued to shriek.

"Okay, that's it! Monferno, don't take anymore of this. Use flamethrower!" Spade demanded his Pokémon to continue fighting. Monferno jumped into the air and blew wicked, blistering flames from his mouth.

"Chikorita, go into the hole!" Free said quickly as Chikorita dove into the whole Monferno had dug, the flames passing right over the opening. When Monferno ran out of flames, Chikorita staggered out of the hole, coughing from the smoke.

"Monferno, dig!" Spade responded immediately, seeing Chikorita was distracted. But, Monferno was tired. He hesitated before plunging his hand deep into the ground. In that moment of hesitation, Free came up with a plan.

"Chikorita! Vine whip, before Monferno gets back underground!" He commanded. Chikorita nodded and flung her vines hard at Monferno's back, knocking him on his stomach.

"Get up, Monferno!" Spade yelled angrily.

"Mon…Monfer…no," it stuttered weakly before falling unconscious.

"Monferno, return," Spade whispered furiously. He glared at Free and Heather before turning and walking away into the forest.

"He forgot his trainer card," Heather smiled, holding back a giggle. Free smiled, too.

"That only gives me more chances to beat down a punk like him," he replied, pulling out Spade's trainer card and admiring it. "You did a good job, Chikorita."

"Chika!" Chikorita said happily, glad to have gotten her revenge.

"We should get some rest," Heather suggested. "You know, so Chikorita has strength for the gym battle. And also, I'm hungry."


	11. Taking it to These Skies

Chapter Eleven

"Totodile! Stop eating so much; you're going to get sick," Heather laughed as Mareep and her watched Totodile endlessly shove food down his throat. "Hey! Look, guys. Free's back from the Pokémon Center."

Totodile immediately stopped eating and went to go greet Chikorita by giving her a hug.

"Aw, that's cute," Free said, looking at the two. Chikorita looked as if she were blushing. "Hey, are you ready for the gym battle, Heather? Now that you have Mareep, you have an advantage against Falkner's flying-types."

"Oh, yeah. Did you hear that Mareep? You get to have your first battle with me!" Heather exclaimed.

"Baa!" Mareep replied excitedly, jumping up and down which caused food to fly off the table. She then stumbled and fell off, but Heather caught her before she hit the ground.

"You have to be careful, Mareep. You're going to hurt yourself," Heather scolded. "Hey! Free!"

"Yeah?"

"Could you use your Pokédex to check Mareep's attacks?" Heather asked. Free pulled out his Pokédex and pointed it towards Mareep.

"Mareep. Thundershock, growl, tackle, cotton spore, thunder wave."

Heather smiled at the newfound knowledge. "Do you want to go now, Free?"

"Yes!" He replied excitedly, stuffing his Pokédex in his bag. "Let's go!"

"Chika!" Chikorita agreed as Free and Heather started to walk to the gym, followed by their Pokémon.

The two stopped in front of the gym and took a deep breath before entering.

"Hello there, young children! How may I help you two?" An enthusiastic man with curly red hair and a pudgy face plastered with freckles shouted.

"Are you the gym leader?" Heather asked, confused.

"No, of course not!" He chuckled. "It's been many years since I've battled. But, I could take you to Falkner if you would like."

"Yes, please!" Free and Heather replied at the same time as they followed the strange man to the back of the gym.

"Falkner! I have two trainers here that wish to see you!" The man called into the shadows.

"Are they good?" An arrogant voice rang back.

"They're full of fighting spirit. I can feel it in them," he replied. A boy a few years older than Heather and Free wearing a blue jacket, blue shirt, and blue shorts with blue eyes and dark blue hair stepped out of the shadows.

"I am Falkner, the Violet City Gym Leader. Which of you two would like to battle me first?" Falkner asked.

Heather and Free looked at each other for a moment before he nodded and Heather stepped forward with Totodile and Mareep.

"I'll battle first," she said confidently.

"Are those two your only Pokémon?" Falkner asked curiously.

"Yep! Just Totodile and Mareep," she replied.

"How about a double battle, then. Two of my Pokémon against your two," he suggested. Heather thought about it for a moment before agreeing. The two walked onto the battlefield where a referee was standing on one side.

"This battle will be a two on two Pokémon double battle. No time limit. Begin!" The referee announced.

"Pidgey, Spearow, I choose you!" Falkner shouted, throwing two Poké Balls onto the field.

"Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Dual normal and flying-type." Free's Pokédex read before he pointed it at Spearow. "Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokémon. Dual normal and flying-type."

"So all in all, they're not much different," Free sighed.

"Totodile, Mareep, go!" Heather commanded, and they charged into battle.

"Pidgey, Spearow, take flight," Falkner ordered. His Pokémon took flight, out of reach of Heather's Totodile and Mareep.

"Now use quick attack!" He shouted. Spearow and Pidgey shot down at Mareep and Totodile, crashing into making an "x", hitting Totodile from both directions. They flew back up again to hit Mareep.

"Totodile, stop one of them!" Heather shouted. Totodile bit down on Pidgey's wing, stopping it from hitting Mareep but Spearow flew right into her. Spearow suddenly fell to the ground, paralyzed.

"It's Mareep's static ability, Heather!" Free called from the sidelines. "It paralyzed his Pokémon!"

"Totodile, let go of Pidgey. Mareep, use thundershock on it!" Heather commanded. Mareep sent a bolt of electricity flying towards Pidgey, whose wing was hurt from Totodile's jaws.

"Spearow, try to get up! Pidgey, dodge!" Falkner cried, knowing his Pokémon were in danger. Pidgey rolled out of the way in time for thundershock to miss and Spearow struggled to get up, limping over to Totodile.

"You may have stopped my Pokémon from flying, but I can still win this!" Falkner shouted from the other side of the battlefield. "Spearow, use fury attack! Pidgey, tackle Mareep!"

Spearow began to peck furiously at Totodile. Spearow's attack knocked Totodile over, angering him. He snapped at Spearow's wing pulling off a few feathers, causing it to cry in pain. Meanwhile, Pidgey bounded after Mareep, knocking her over as well.

"Totodile, blast it with your water gun! Mareep, you can do it! Get back up and use thundershock!" Heather ordered her Pokémon.

"Totodile!" Totodile cried before blasting a stream of water out of his mouth, knocking Spearow into Pidgey at the same time Mareep zapped it with thundershock, increasing the effects.

Falkner's Pokémon lay helplessly on the ground, paralyzed and exhausted from battle. Falkner's mouth opened in shock.

"Pidgey, Spearow, return to you Poké Balls. You deserve a good rest. You beat me!" He gasped as a beam of red light retrieved his injured Pokémon. Falkner reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge and walked over to Heather. "Here, take this. It's the Zephyr badge. You earned it."

Heather took it and admired it. It was silver and had wings in the shape of a "U" engraved into it.

"I got my first badge!" She exclaimed. "And it's so shiny!"

"Now you," Falkner said, turning to Free. "It's time for our battle."


	12. Can you say Synthesis?

"Are you ready, Chikorita?" Free asked seriously.

"Chika," she replied. The two stepped up to where Heather was to battle and Falkner walked back to his place. "Harold! Open the gym roof!"

Harold, the guy Free and Heather had met at the entrance of the gym, nodded and pressed a button. The roof of the gym opened, revealing a bright blue cloudless sky with the sun shining directly overhead. Free silently chuckled to himself, knowing that Falkner didn't know what he was getting himself into.

"This battle will be a one on one Pokémon battle. No time limit. Begin!" The referee announced.

"Don't think I'll lose as easily to you as I did to your friend. I have the advantage in this battle. I opened the gym ceiling so my Pokémon know the sky is the limit! Go, Pidgeotto!" Falkner called out, throwing a Poké Ball.

"Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokémon. Dual normal and flying-type," Free's Pokédex read.

"He _did_ have the advantage," Free muttered to himself, smiling. "Go, Chikorita! You can do this!"

"Pidgeotto! Take flight!" Falkner commanded his Pokémon. Pidgeotto flew up high into the air and flew in circles, waiting for the next command.

"Chikorita, be ready for anything," Free warned as Chikorita cautiously watched the flying Pokémon.

"Dive at it, Pidgeotto! Wing attack!" Falkner ordered. His Pokémon dove at Chikorita, gaining speed from the height.

"Grab its wings with vine whip!" Free shouted to Chikorita.

"Pidgeotto pull up short!" Falkner cautioned. Chikorita's vines missed one of the wings but managed to get a hold of the other and yanked it down. Pidgeotto quickly pulled loose and flew a few feet higher, out of Chikorita's reach.

"Try a quick attack," Falkner yelled. His Pokémon dived once more, too fast for Chikorita to respond. Pidgeotto knocked her backwards, tumbling across the ground.

"Are you okay, Chikorita?" Free cried.

"Chika!" Chikorita replied, getting up and shaking herself out from the blow before running back onto the battlefield, watching Pidgeotto soar high above her once more.

"Try another wing attack!" Falkner called to his Pokémon. Chikorita didn't need her trainer's command to know what to do. She grabbed Pidgeotto's wings and slammed him into the ground, hard. Pidgeotto got back up immediately as if no harm was done.

"Are you serious?" Free asked, feeling the tension of a gym battle.

"Sand-attack!" Falkner yelled. Pidgeotto scooped up loose sand from the field and flung it into Chikorita's eyes, momentarily blinding her. "Now, blow her away with gust!"

Chikorita flew back once more, but stopped herself from hitting the wall again. She looked tired.

"Chikorita, time for synthesis!" Free shouted. Chikorita looked up at the sun, and then closed her eyes as she began to absorb the energy.

"Pidgeotto, hurry! Block out the sun!" Falkner ordered. Pidgeotto flapped his wings and soared up into the sky, placing himself between the sun and Chikorita. But, with the sun directly overhead, Chikorita had already gathered enough energy and her wounds were healed.

"It's too late, Pidgeotto," Falkner said. "But we'll use the one attack he wasn't expecting. Sky attack!"

Pidgeotto cawed into the sky before flying up higher until you couldn't see him. Then, a whistling noise was heard. It got louder and louder and soon you could see Pidgeotto shooting down out of the sky at full speed.

"Chikorita!" Free cried out in alarm.

"Chika!" She replied and started to gather energy from the sun. As Pidgeotto got closer, Chikorita sent out a storm of razor leaf and held up her vines, which were glowing with energy.

"What the…" Falkner muttered. Pidgeotto easily cut through the leaves but just as he was about to hit Chikorita, she swung her vines, sending Pidgeotto soaring across the gym, crashing into the floor. He didn't move.

Harold smiled, "Pidgeotto is unable to continue. Winner of this match is the challenger!"

"Pidgeotto… return…" Falkner whispered, astonished. "You, trainer. What's your name?"

"Free!" Free called back.

"Free, you are an amazing trainer with an amazing Pokémon. Never have I had a battle as intense as that one. I would like to present you with the Zephyr badge," Falkner said in awe, walking over to Free and handing him a badge.

"Thank you, this is a great start to my journey," Free replied, taking the badge.

"I would be honored to battle you or your friend again sometime," Falkner said. "Do either of you have a PokéGear?"

"I do," Heather whispered, still amazed by the battle.

"And your name is…?" Falkner questioned.

"Heather," she replied, holding out her PokéGear to him. He put in his number.

"Call me, if you two ever want to battle again. Free, Heather, you should continue to win gym badges. The closest gym is in Azalea. The leader, Bugsy, specializes in bug-types," Falkner said. "I know you two will be able to face any challenge."

"Thank you," Heather and Free replied, as Falkner handed Heather back her PokéGear and they walked out the gym doors, talking about strategies for the next gym battle.


	13. The Puzzling Alph

"Which way is Azalea?" Free asked Heather as they stood in front of the Violet City Pokémon Center. They had just healed their Pokémon for the long journey to Azalea Town.

"Uh," Heather hesitated, pulling out her PokéGear and squinting at the tiny map. "It's south from here. There's also a place called the Ruins of Alph. I've heard my mom talk about it a lot. We should go visit there."

"Sure, I like studying up on new Pokémon," Free replied, looking at the map. "Plus, it's on the way to Azalea, so we can stop there and rest."

"Let's go then," Heather said excitedly as they started heading out of town, following the PokéGear's map.

Pretty soon they came up to some very crumbly ruins, and sure enough, they were the Ruins of Alph. There were a few tourists here and there and some scientists walking around, taking pictures of some strange writing on the walls.

"Those are the Unown, Heather," Free pointed at the writing on the walls of the ruins. "They're ancient psychic Pokémon said to live in a different dimension of their own. Research is being done about them, but it's still unclear whether the ancient writing or the Unown came first."

Heather nodded, trying to make sense of what Free said. She examined the walls and they continued walking until they came to a ruin that they were able to go into. There was a young lady, probably a tour guide, pointing out random things on the wall, but one thing in particular sparked the interest of Free and Heather. It was a puzzle the tour guide had just pointed out made out of broken pieces of rock.

"Many people have tried solving this puzzle, and it is said to trigger something when it's been put together, but no one has succeeded. You may try if you like," she explained. A few cameras flashed, but no one walked to the wall. Only when everyone had followed the tour guide somewhere else did Heather and Free approach the puzzle.

"Do you…" Heather started.

"Want to solve it?" Free grinned, finishing Heather's sentence.

"Yes!" Heather replied excitedly.

There was a note sealed in a display case translating the text above the puzzle.

"It says the puzzle depicts an ancient Pokémon that roamed the floors of the ocean," Heather told Free after she read it. "Do you know of any?

"Well, there's one called Kabuto. They're extinct now, but the used to live on the bottom of the ocean," Free said, examining the pieces in the wall and the pieces that need to be placed into it. "Yeah, see this part here? It makes up part of the shell and a leg. It definitely looks like a Kabuto."

"You've definitely been reading a lot from the Pokédex," Heather commented with a smile.

Free laughed, "I'm kind of a nerd… let's get started!"

Heather picked up a piece and examined it, then placed it into the wall. It fit perfectly. Free did the same for the next piece which fit in as well. After a few hours of hard work, they got the puzzle to the point where there was one piece left to find. But, it was missing.

"Where's the last piece?" Heather said, out of breath from excitement.

"I don't know! Chikorita search the ground!" Free replied.

"Totodile, you help too," Heather said, pulling the Poké Ball off of her necklace and letting her Pokémon out.

"Totodile!" He cried as he began crawling on the floor, looking for the missing piece.

"Chika!" Chikorita yelled after a few minutes. She held the missing piece in her mouth.

"Good job, Chikorita," Free smiled, taking the piece. Totodile rushed to their sides, eager to see the completed puzzle. Free pushed the piece into place. The puzzle flashed and the ground began to shake as the floor gave out and the two trainers and their Pokémon fell into the darkness.

"Ow! Heather, Chikorita, Totodile! Are you guys all right?" Free called. It was either really dark or he couldn't see from hitting his head on the ground.

"Chika!" Chikorita answered from next to Free, but there were no other voices.

"Heather, Totodile!" Free yelled into the darkness, which was getting brighter.

"We've over here!" Heather replied. Free could now see that the bright light was coming from Mareep's tail. He could also make out the shape of his friend and Totodile, and also something else in the darkness, following behind them.

"H-Heather? What's that behind you?" Free stuttered, pointing behind his friend at a round-headed shadow looming over them.

"Baa!" Mareep cried, her tail light going out as she suddenly fell to the ground over sending them into darkness once more.


	14. The Unknown Unown

"Mareep!" Heather cried, looking around.

"Baa!" She said as the light on her tail flickered and shined brighter.

"Woopa?" A small blue Pokémon questioned, staring at Mareep's tail.

"Aw, a Wooper!" Heather exclaimed.

"Wooper, the Water Fish Pokémon. Dual water and ground-type," Free's Pokédex read aloud.

"I think it likes your Mareep's shiny tail," Free smiled, watching the Pokémon stare blankly into the bright light. "We should find a way out of here, though."

Heather nodded in agreement as the two started walking down the hall they were in. Pretty soon, they came to a dead end.

"We should try going the other way," Free suggested, turning around and taking the lead. He then tripped and stumbled over something. "Ow! What was that?"

"Woopa…?" Wooper said, dazed and confused. He then spotted Mareep's tail and ran to it.

"It's still following us," Heather laughed, looking at Mareep who seemed to be enjoying the Wooper's attention. Wooper put his mouth up to Mareep's tail, but couldn't quite get himself high enough to stick it in his mouth..

While Heather was watching Wooper, Free was busy watching floating shapes appearing in the darkness.

"Unown… Unown…" They sang as they spun in a circle towards the trainers.

"Heather… It's the Unown!" Free whispered. Heather frantically turned around and saw the spinning Pokémon.

Chikorita and Mareep dashed in front of their trainers, ready to defend them at all costs.

"Hurry! Get out your Pokédex and see what it has to say!" Heather nudged Free.

"Unown, the Symbol Pokémon. Psychic-type. Unown are said to have existed since ancient times. They use telepathy to communicate with each other. Many shapes of Unown have been discovered. Little else has been discovered about these Pokémon."

"There are so many different shapes; they're shaped like letters!" Heather pointed out, staring in fear. "What do they want?"

"I-I don't know," Free stammered, taking a step back as they got closer and closer.

"Unown…" they sang once more as there was a bright flash of light, blinding both Free and Heather. The next thing they saw was moonlight. Somehow they had gotten outside the ruins.

"Where'd they go?" Heather asked, frantically looking around.

"Maybe they just wanted to help us get out," Free replied, looking around as well.

"Chika?" Chikorita was confused too, looking around until she spotted Totodile.

"Totodile!" He shouted, running to make sure everyone was uninjured.

"Baa…" Mareep bleated, looking around for Wooper. But no one found him.

"Aw, and I liked that little guy," Heather said after searching for Wooper as well.

"Yeah, he was pretty cute," Free sighed. "But we should probably look for somewhere to sleep. It's pretty dark out. I think we were solving that puzzle for a long time."

"Okay, well a small forest is over there," Heather pointed out. "It would cover us."

The two began to walk into the forest. It got darker from the trees covering the moon so Heather had Mareep light up her tail again so they could see. The light from Mareep's tail went out again, but only for a second. They turned around but saw nothing.

"Mareep? Is everything all right?" Heather asked, concerned.

"Baa!" She replied, looking around and seeing nothing.

"We can probably stop here," Free announced, looking around the small clearing they had come to. "We don't want to go any farther into the forest anyways. I'm just going to go over here and see if there's a stream. I thought I heard water flowing, but−"

As Free turned around, his feet stumbled over something and he started to fall.

"Uh oh!" Free shouted as he tripped. His bag spilled everywhere and his Luxury Ball rolled away as a blue Pokémon chased it. "Was… Was that that Wooper? From the Ruins of Alph?"

"Woopa!" It cried from behind a tree as he kicked the ball, rolling it towards Free. He kicked it harder, hitting the button in the middle. The Poké Ball opened and then closed around the Wooper.

Ding.

Free stared in astonishment. "Did that Wooper just catch itself? In MY Luxury Ball?"

Heather laughed. "Well, at least you caught your first Pokémon."


	15. Quils of Fury!

"I think it went into the forest!" A voice yelled, waking up Heather and Free.

"What was that?" Heather mumbled. Totodile got up and looked around. There was a rustle in the bushes around them and a young boy with sand-colored hair and a big mouth stepped out.

"Hey! Are you guys trainers?" He asked excitedly. "I'm Tim! I wanna be a trainer when I turn ten! But… that's not for another two years… Is that a Chikorita? Ooh! Is that a Totodile and a Mareep? I love water Pokémon! Oh… but I love grass Pokémon too! So what are your names?"

"I'm Free, and that's Heather," Free yawned, glad the kid finally stopped talking.

"Hi, Free! Hi, Heather! I'm Tim! Oops, I already told you that. Anyways, I'm looking for a Cyndaquil. He's been terrorizing my town for the past few weeks and we've been looking for it. We saw him run into the forest but we haven't been able to find him," he babbled. "Well, I'm gonna go look some more then!"

Tim dashed off into the forest as Heather got up and stretched.

"I couldn't think of a better way to start a morning," she laughed sarcastically. "So this Cyndaquil… It's a fire-type, right, Free?"

"Yeah, and I want to go catch it," Free smirked. "Maybe since all those people came into the forest looking for it, Cyndaquil returned to town to do some damage. Cyndaquil is also very rare in the wild so it'd be a great addition to my team."

She nodded in agreement and the two packed up their stuff. Heather returned her Pokémon and made sure her Pokémon egg was alright while she held it. They began walking out of the forest and to a dirt path where footprints were left running into the forest.

"I bet if we follow these, we can get back to their town," Heather suggested.

"Alright, let's go!" Free said, running down the dirt road with Heather and Chikorita following right behind him. After a few minutes, they spotted some houses and soon they came into the town.

"Stop, you filthy vermin!" They heard someone shout from inside the building they were by as the sound of glass breaking, metal clanging together, and doors slamming rang in their ears.

"I bet it's that Cyndaquil…" Free whispered stepping behind the building next to it, out of sight.

A window in the front of the building busted open when a small blue and yellow Pokémon with scar through its left eye like it had been slashed flew out.

"Cyndaquil!" It cried angrily, taunting the man. It was holding what looked like food in its paws.

"Aww… poor thing! It must be starving!" Heather muttered to herself.

The angry man, who looked old in age with grey hair and eyes full of hatred, burst through the door, and ran towards the Cyndaquil with a long shot-gun.

"No! Don't shoot it!" Heather screamed. The man turned around, confused. "He's probably just hungry…" Heather muttered to the man holding the gun.

"Why shouldn't I? That _thing_ is a thief and it steals and destroys everything in this town! I would be a hero if I shot it," he grumbled.

"I'll make you a deal," Free said, stepping out from behind the building. "I'll battle it. If I can catch it, it's mine. If not… you can…" Free stopped talking and took a deep breath. "Don't hurt it, please."

The man was shocked by what he had heard and lowered his gun. "Okay…" he mumbled. "Go ahead and play hero, but if you don't," he seemed unable to finish his sentence and instead, he went back inside.

"Cyndaquil!" Cyndaquil cried, running towards the forest.

"Oh no you don't!" Free shouted. "Chikorita, stop it with vine whip!"

Chikorita wrapped her vines around the Pokémon. As she held it, Free pulled out his Pokédex.

"Cyndaquil, the Fire Mouse Pokémon. Fire-type. Cyndaquil can defend its self by blowing fire out of the four red spots on its back."

True to the Pokédex's words, Cyndaquil sent flames shooting out of his back, burning Chikorita's vines.

"Chika!" She yelled in pain, releasing the flaming Pokémon. He tried to run away once more.

"Chikorita, razor leaf!" Free ordered.

Chikorita sent leaves spinning into Cyndaquil, making him angry. He finally turned around to fight.

"Cynda, Cyndaquil!" The Pokémon growled, blasting up the flames on its back even higher. It opened its mouth wide at let out a roar of flames.

"Get out of the way!" Free shouted hurriedly to Chikorita who managed to jump out of the way at the last second. "That's one strong flamethrower attack!"

Cyndaquil turned and faced Chikorita again and used flamethrower a second time. Chikorita rolled out of the way automatically, but Cyndaquil was ready for his next attack and shot small blasts of fire towards the place Chikorita was rolling to, scorching her leaf.

"Synthesis, Chikorita. Heal up!" Free shouted. Chikorita began to draw in the sun's energy and slowly her burnt leaf healed.

"Wouldn't switching to Wooper be a better choice right now?" Heather questioned.

Free sighed, "I haven't had any time to train with Wooper yet. I don't even know what it is capable of."

Cyndaquil, seemingly getting angry at being ignored momentarily began charge towards Chikorita. It opened its mouth and blasted a big puff of black smoke completely blinding Chikorita and both trainers.

"What a strong smokescreen!" Free complimented. "I think that Cyndaquil is doing this because he is in pain. Chikorita try to find it and we'll try a more conventional way to capture it!"

Cyndaquil popped from the smoke and released another blast of flames towards Chikorita. Chikorita had no time to dodge and was completely engulfed in flames. Once the flames left Chikorita's body Chikorita could be seen struggling but still stood proudly.

"Alright, Chikorita! Try a Vine Whip to trip it!" Free ordered, thoughts raced through his head about capturing a Cyndaquil. Cyndaquil was Fai's starter Pokémon so it only gave Free more encouragement.

Chikorita released her vines towards Cyndaquil only to have Cyndaquil release more flames at Chikorita. The flames connected with Chikorita and she fell to the ground, it was clear that Chikorita couldn't go much longer.

"Try one more synthesis and we'll end this soon I promise!" Free encouraged his Pokémon.

Chikorita struggled but stood back up and the sun's energy was once again being drawn in to heal the majority of her wounds.

Cyndaquil glared at Chikorita through its scarred eye as she healed her wounds once more, it then growled before it slowly glowed a bright white.

"It's… it's evolving!" Free gasped. "Into Quilava!"

"Qui…" it said before he curled into a ball and began to roll towards Chikorita at a high speed with the burning flames from its back surrounding him.

Chikorita pulled out its vines and smacked them against the ground sending her flying into the air. Quilava sped right below her, completely missing its blazing attack.

Free grabbed ahold of the Pokédex and scanned Quilava quickly to find out what else to expect.

"Chikorita! It's using flame wheel! We have to try something else!" Free shouted.

Quilava immediately turned around using its flame wheel and began to speed right back towards Chikorita who was about to land on ground once more.

Free looked around his surroundings and thought of something quickly, "Chikorita it's going to hurt but I need you use vine whip to turn Quilava into that small boulder over there!" He pointed towards Chikorita's left. Chikorita nodded and once more her vines connected with Quilava's burning body and diverted its motions. When Quilava was rolling for the boulder, he tried to stop himself but it was too late. He smashed into it hard and was unable to get up once his flames died.

Free took this as his chance and pulled out a Poké Ball. He threw it at the injured Quilava. The Poké Ball rocked a few times before it let out a _'ding'_.

"I-I caught it!" Free yelled, picking up the Poké Ball. "Good job, Chikorita!"

"That was awesome, Free!" Heather said, giving her friend a hug.

From inside the building behind them, they could hear the man softly chuckling.


	16. Lapras in the Net!

"Hey look, Free! A cave!" Heather shouted. "My PokéGear says we have to go through it to get to Azalea…"

"Yeah, this is Union Cave, isn't it?" Free asked as they walked closer to the entrance.

"That's what my map says," Heather replied. When they reached the entrance, they realized it was going to be hard to see inside. The cave was cold, damp, and poorly lit. The sun's rays barely made it through a few holes in the top of the cave.

"Come on out, Mareep," Heather said throwing Mareep's Poké Ball. "If you'd please, will you light up this cave?"

"Baa!" She cried. Mareep's tail flickered until it was shining brightly.

"Wow, this is a big cave!" Heather said, listening to her echoed voice hum throughout the cave. Her eyes opened wide in wonder as she glanced around the enormous cavern. Stalactites dangled from the top of the cave in infinite rows, seeming to glitter when the sun poured in from the cracks in ceiling. Water slowly dripped from them into shimmering pools, sounding like rain. The cave smelled of earth, minerals, and very faintly of lake water. Ostensibly, it looked serene, but both Free and Heather knew the danger of getting lost.

"How are we going to find our way through?" Free asked while looking around.

"I guess we'll just try to walk around and find our own way," Heather replied. Free nodded and they began to walk through the cave. Eventually, they came to a spot where there was two separate paths leading to the left and right.

"I think we should take the left one. That's the direction Azalea is," Heather stated, looking at her map.

"Okay," Free shrugged. "If not, we can always come back."

Wooper suddenly popped out of his Poké Ball.

"Woopa!" He cried, trying to tackle Mareep's tail.

"Baa!" Mareep cried, running down the right path.

"Mareep!" Heather called, chasing after her Pokémon. "Come back here right now!"

"Wooper, you too!" Free yelled, following all three of them with Chikorita at his side.

Free followed the light of Mareep's tail. It began glowing brighter, so he knew he was getting close. He reached Mareep and Heather, who were gazing around the cavern and the lake they had reached and Wooper was staring blankly at his reflection in the lake water.

"Reeoar!" A desperate cry was heard just around the corner along with some shouting and laughter.

"Stupid Lapras," a man shouted. "You should've cooperated and came with us, or we wouldn't have had to force you!"

"Reeoar…" it cried softly. Free, Heather, and their Pokémon quickly rushed around the corner to see what was happening. There was a large, blue, sea monster-like Pokémon with a long neck, a small horn on its forehead, and a heavy-looking knobby shell trying to escape from a net that three men and a girl were trying to pull in.

"We have to stop them... They're hurting it!" Heather whispered.

"Aren't those the people that tried to steal that egg from Mr. Pokémon? Team Rocket? We should attack them from behind," Free whispered back.

"Mareep, we need you," Heather called softly. Mareep walked over from the water's edge. "Stop lighting up the cave and sneak up with Chikorita behind those guys. Then use thundershock, okay?"

"Baa…" Mareep nodded and dimmed her tail so it was dark again besides the light coming from Team Rocket's Pokémon that lit up the cave. She and Chikorita ran up behind Team Rocket. Mareep took one look at Heather before sending a jolt of electricity into all of them. They immediately released the net, releasing Lapras as well.

"Reeoar!" It cried, happy to be free.

"What was that?" One of the men asked, looking around. He spotted Mareep and Chikorita as Chikorita sent a flurry of leaves spinning into their direction.

"Ugh, what are they doing? I told John we would need more people here at Union Cave. But he said they were needed more at Slowpoke Well!" The girl whined.

Lapras then sent a blast of water at Team Rocket, knocking them into the wall.

"We have to get out of here. We can come back another time," one of the men said. "We're probably need at Slowpoke Well anyways," he added, running out a back entrance to the cave. The rest followed, leaving Lapras in peace.

"Looks like Team Rocket is blasting off again," John muttered sarcastically as he ran from the cave.

"Let's go talk to it!" Free said excitedly, running up to the Pokémon, but it began to swim away. "Wait! I need Pokédex data!"

"Lapras, the Transport Pokémon. Dual water and ice-type. Lapras ferries people across the sea on its back and provides a very comfortable way to get around. Lapras have gentle hearts. Because they rarely fight, many have been caught or hunted towards extinction."

"That's so sad," Free sniffled. "We didn't even get to say 'hi.'"

"Aw… I'm sorry Free," Heather said, patting her friend on the back. "I'm sure we'll find another one. But Team Rocket ran out that way of the cave and said they were going to Slowpoke Well. My PokéGear says Slowpoke Well is right outside Azalea Town, so that must be the way out."

"Okay… let's go then," Free replied, still disappointed the Pokémon had swam away. "Wait… what could they be doing at Slowpoke Well?"

The two thought about it for a moment before worried expressions came across both of their faces as they ran out into the daylight and began to run to Slowpoke Well. Who knows what Team Rocket could be up to there?


	17. Hurry Up, Slowpoke!

"I hope they haven't done anything bad to any Pokémon," Heather gasped for air, standing outside Slowpoke Well with Free. They had run as fast as they could to Slowpoke Well from end of Union Cave.

"We have to take Team Rocket down before they do anything too bad," Free replied, trying to catch his breath.

"Come on, Deka! You're running too slowly!" A girl's voice called from just inside the well.

"I can't, Clover! I'm carrying two of them, and they're really heavy!" A boy's voice replied.

Soon, a skinny figure came crawling out of the well holding a pink Pokémon. She had blonde hair with a headband that circled around her head; from the headband two baby blue bells dangled above her eyes. She wore a red tank top with a tight, baby-blue mini skirt and black compression shorts. A blue bag wrapped around her waist.

"Who are you!" She yelled when she saw the other two trainers.

"I'm Free. This is Chikorita and Heather," Free replied calmly.

"Yeah, we're here to save Pokémon!" Heather added, looking at the pink Pokémon the other girl was holding.

"I'm Clover," she said as a boy came up from the well. "And this is my older brother, Deka."

Deka had spiky, dark green hair that blew easily in the wind. He wore a peach colored shirt under a jacket that was green at the body but the sleeves and his hood were pink. His bottoms were light green until the knee cap where they darkened up a little bit; they were fastened up by a white belt with a golden buckle.

"Who are they!" Deka shouted, setting down the two Pokémon he was holding and trying to hide them. Because of the Slowpokes' sizes, it was impossible to do so.

"It's okay Deka, I think they want to help," Clover whispered.

"Oh alright, as long as they don't get in the way," he muttered before turning to Free and Heather. "See, Team Rocket is down in that well cutting off Slowpoke tails. My sister and I are trying to get them out of there."

"Slow…poke…" one of the Pokémon yawned from behind Deka. Free pulled out his Pokédex.

"Slowpoke, the Dopey Pokémon. Dual water and psychic-type. Their tails drip a sweet-tasting sappy substance that attracts fish."

"This poor guy was just about to get his tail chopped off before my Bulbasaur was able to distract Team Rocket long enough for Clover to get him out," Deka said, gesturing to the Slowpoke.

"Come on, Deka. We need to get back and get more," Clover said impatiently after setting down the Slowpoke she was holding in the forest and walking back to the entrance to the well. "Heather, Free… you guys can help. Just wait for Deka's signal before you grab a Slowpoke," she added, stepping down into the well. They both nodded before they followed after her.

It was dark and damp inside the well and the four trainers could hear laughing from the end of a long tunnel.

"Get the next one!" A familiar voice shouted. Heather recognized it as Jada, one of the Team Rocket members that were trying to steal from Mr. Pokémon.

"Hurry!" Deka whispered, walking quickly but silently through the tunnel.

"Come on, John get one up here!" Another voice shouted.

"They keep going missing!" An angry man shouted.

Deka, Clover, Free, and Heather came around a corner into a cavern dimly lit by lanterns. Deka nodded at the other three, and pointed at a pile of Slowpoke. Free managed to pick two of them up and start on his way back to outside, but Heather struggled to lift one. Clover had to help Heather get it on to her shoulders and then pick one up for herself. When the other three had made it out, Deka grabbed another two to carry.

"Hey! There's a kid in here," Jada yelled. "I think he's been stealing the Slowpoke!"

"Somebody get him! We'll teach him not to mess with Team Rocket again!" A man yelled.

Outside the well, the three trainers were silently waiting for Deka. They knew nothing about what Team Rocket found out. After a few minutes, Clover spoke.

"Deka's taking a really long time. I think he got caught!" She worried, pacing back and forth.

"Do you want to go in and find out?" Heather asked, concerned. "I'll go with you."

"So will Chikorita and I!" Free said.

"Chika!" She agreed.

"Okay… thanks you guys," Clover smiled a little bit before stepping down into the well. There was even more shouting echoing off the walls than before.

"Stop! You're hurting me!" They heard Deka's voice yell.

"Well it isn't hurting us any!" A man chuckled. Clover and Heather ran as fast as they could until they reached the cavern where they were before with Free stumbling behind.

"Stop hurting my brother!" Clover screamed, grabbing a Poké Ball off of her belt and throwing it. "Go, Torchic!"

"Oh so you think one little Pokémon can stop us?" Jada taunted. "Go, Abra!"

A man stepped up beside her and threw a Poké Ball as well. "Show her who's boss, Houndour!"

"She's not alone!" Heather shouted, stepping into the cavern. "Help her out, Totodile! Let's go!"

Then the battle erupted.


	18. Rocket Rumble in the Well!

"Abra, teleport!" Jada commanded.

"Abra…" it replied before disappearing and reappearing behind Clover's Torchic and grabbing it.

"Totodile! Help Torchic!" Heather ordered. Totodile ran to Torchic's side and clamped his jaws down on Abra's arm. Abra cried out in pain and let go.

Jada glared at the ongoing battle and motioned for a few Team Rocket members to make their escape before giving her commands, "Abra use your hidden power!"

Abra tucked in its limbs and they shot out quickly towards Torchic and Totodile, the massive blast of invisible energy sent both Pokémon onto their backs.

"Now Houndour, attack with your tackle!" John ordered; it was time for him to enter the battle. Houndour took a fighting stance and charged at Totodile.

Heather frantically looked around for something to defend her Totodile, "Use your water gun towards the ceiling!" Totodile released water from his mouth that pounded against the ceiling. A few rocks fell fast from the ceiling and landed in front of Houndour, stopping the tackle attack. Houndour then leapt back in front of John.

"Thunderpunch that Torchic!" An angered Jada screamed. Abra swiftly floated towards the grounded Torchic, its fist emitting electric sparks.

"Torchic, use ember!" Clover shouted quickly. Torchic stood up to face Abra and shot fire out of her mouth, but Abra swiftly teleported away back towards John's Houndour.

"Houndour, fire spin!" John yelled. Houndour blew flames out of his mouth, surrounding Torchic and Totodile within a ring of fire.

"Totodile, put the fire out with water gun!" Heather commanded. Totodile blasted water onto the blazing flames, clearing a path for Torchic and himself to escape.

"Abra, use confusion!" Jada yelled. Abra sent a wave of psychic energy blasting into Totodile. Totodile looked stunned for a moment before stumbling a little and looking around, confused.

"Totodile! Snap out of it! Bite Abra again!" Heather cheered for her Pokémon. Totodile opened his mouth wide, but instead of biting Abra, he sent a blast of water out of his mouth at a space between Abra and Houndour. He span in a circle randomly shooting out water until a wave of it hit Houndour right in the face, knocking the fire Pokémon out.

"No! Houndour!" John cried as he looked at his Pokémon helplessly. "Come on back…" He muttered as the beam of red light returned his Pokémon.

"Totodile! Come on, snap out of it!" Heather yelled. Totodile shook his head and soon you could tell he was no longer confused.

"Torchic," Clover called. "Use ember."

"Totodile, use water gun the same time Torchic uses her attack!" Heather commanded. "Just don't hit the fire… or it'll go out!"

"Torchic!" Clover's Pokémon cried before sending small balls of fire blasting out of her small yellow beak.

"Totodile!" Totodile yelled as he blasted water through the middle of Torchic's attack. It hit Abra in the chest sending it flying into a stone wall. Abra lay on the ground, unable to get up.

"Abra, return…" Jada said softly. "John, let's get out of here," she ordered. Jada and John both turned and ran away off into the distance, there was no telling where they were going next. "Team Rocket is blasting off again!" Could be heard echoing from the well.

"Heather! We did it I think we got them to leave!" Clover shouted happily. "Wait… where did Deka go?"

"There's probably more Team Rocket members in the well. He might have run off during the battle to fight some of them… and Free might be with him," Heather replied.

"Quilava! Flame wheel!" They heard Free's voice echo down a tunnel.

"Do you think they found themselves a battle?" Heather asked with a smile.

"Scyther, hit it with a wing attack!" Deka's voice followed seconds after.

"Yep, that's them! Let's go!" Clover said running towards their voices. Heather chased after her.

They came to another cavern that was smaller than the one they had been in with John and Jada, but it was still very large. Clover rushed to her brother's side, who was battling a female member with a Weepinbell.

"What took you guys so long?" Deka shouted over the noise the two battling Pokémon were making.

"We were battling to save you!" Clover yelled back.

"Yeah, well while you were distracted I ran off to get Free so we could help you and Heather out!" He replied. "Scyther, slash it! Finish him off!"

Scyther obeyed and slashed the Weepinbell with the razor sharp blades on his arms. Weepinbell fell back and it groaned a loud groan, it was clear it wasn't wanting to continue.

"Weepinbell, return. We're out of here," the girl muttered running out.

"Let's go help Free and Heather," Clover said as they stepped over to watch Free battling a Team Rocket member's Growlithe. Quilava still looked strong but Growlithe looked like he would fall over any second.

"Quilava, finish him off with flame wheel!" Free commanded. He was so into the battle he hadn't noticed the other three standing next to him. Quilava opened his mouth and flames emerged he then rolled into a ball and thrust himself at the Growlithe, who fell defeated.

"Growlithe, return," the man muttered as he pulled out a PokéGear and starting walking out of the well. "John, we're finished… Defeated... I'm heading to the base in Goldenrod to help with the radio tower project."

Free turned around and was surprised to see Deka, Clover, and Heather standing beside him. "How are you guys doing? Did you beat 'em all?"

"We beat as many as we could find!" Clover said with excitement, she then picked up Torchic and gave it a kiss on the head.

"Chika!" Chikorita cried out in relief.

"Well, it looks like we've cleaned up here… what now?" Heather questioned.

"We should get out of here," Deka suggested. "I don't like this 'well' smell. And, I want to talk to you guys."

When all four had climbed out of the well, Deka sighed and sat on a rock next to a Slowpoke that he saved.

"You heard that Team Rocket member say he was heading to Goldenrod, right?" Deka said. The three nodded.

"Free, Heather, would you guys like to come with my sister and me to stop Team Rocket from reuniting?" He asked.

"Yes! But… we were hoping to take the gym challenge in Azalea," Free replied. "We're wanting to go the Silver Conference…"

"That's okay, I don't think they'll be doing anything for a few days, so we have a little time. We may have a few months for all we know. It'd be best for us to just keep an eye out for now," Deka replied.

"Yay! New friends!" Clover cheered and Deka smiled at his sister.

"Slowpoke?" The fat, pink Pokémon cooed out in question.


	19. Battling the Bug Encyclopedia! Part One

"Hey, I can see the gym from here," Clover said as they walked into Azalea Town.

"Where?" Heather asked, looking around excitedly.

"I see it! It's right behind that other building," Free pointed off into the distance. Clover, Free, and Chikorita started running towards it and Heather and Deka followed.

"We're here!" Clover announced as they reached the front doors. Free took the first step in with Heather right behind.

"Hey, guys! Come on in!" A small boy holding a bug net shouted.

"Are you Bugsy?" Heather asked.

"Yep, I sure am!" He replied. "Are you looking for a gym battle?"

"We sure are!" Free answered.

"Chika!" His Pokémon added happily.

"Well, I have to say… I'm an expert when it comes to bug-type Pokémon, I won't go down easily," Bugsy warned. "But if you want a battle, let's go over to the battle arena."

The two battlers took their places with Bugsy on the far side of the field. The other three trainers sat behind Free, anxiously awaiting the battle. After a minute, a referee stepped up to the side of the battlefield.

"This battle will be a one on one Pokémon battle. Two Pokémon are allowed to be used. Only the challenger may switch out. No time limit. Begin!" He announced.

"Come on out, Pinsir!" Bugsy yelled, throwing a Poké Ball onto the field. The brown bug Pokémon snapped his horns together a few times, threateningly. Free whipped out his Pokédex, a habit that was beginning to form.

"Pinsir, the Stag Beetle Pokémon. Bug-type," the Pokédex read in its monotone voice.

"You can do it, Wooper!" Free threw his Poké Ball onto the field as well.

"Woopa!" Wooper cried, looking around happily. He was facing the opposite direction of Pinsir, looking up at Free. Bugsy laughed, but didn't make a move.

"Wooper, turn around and use water gun!" Free commanded.

"Woopa…?" Wooper said, turning around and tilting his head at Pinsir. He stared blankly at it.

"Are you serious?" Deka wondered aloud with a laugh, "Does Free think he'll win with that?"

"Pinsir, use x-scissor," Bugsy ordered calmly. Pinsir ran up to Wooper his horns glowing a bright white. He bent over and grabbed Wooper, crushing him.

Wooper didn't respond to the pressure, he just looked very confused. When Pinsir dropped him to the ground, Wooper just laid there, unable to get up.

"Wooper is unable to battle, the win goes to Pinsir!" The referee announced.

"Wooper, return!" The beam of red light returned Free's Pokémon. Bugsy smiled at Free's first Pokémon's defeat.

"I told you I know a lot when it comes to bug-types!" He laughed.

"Well then you should know what happens when they get hit by a fire attack! Go, Quilava!" Free shouted as Bugsy's smile quickly faded.

"Qui…" Quilava muttered, glaring at the Pinsir.

"Use flamethrower!" Free ordered. Quilava opened his mouth and shot a blast of flames from deep within. Pinsir stood no chance against flamethrower's power, it's only option was to dodge. Pinsir moved out of the way and only its arm was burned.

"Pinsir try your brick break now! We'll try to overpower it!" Bugsy ordered, making the clear mistake of telling Free his strategy. Pinsir's arm lit up and he began to run towards the fire-type Pokémon.

"Quilava wait for the last moment and dodge using your flamethrower," Free told his fire Pokémon. Fai had taught Free everything he needed to know about fire-types, he knew how he could win this battle. Once Pinsir was close enough Quilava released flames from its mouth towards the floor and he was propelled into the air. "Now, finish this one with a flame wheel!" While in the air Quilava's mouth and back lit up with fire before it started to roll towards Pinsir. It landed directly on the Pokémon, its weight and the fire dashing any hopes of a clean win for Bugsy.

The flames and dirt cleared out and the referee made his call, ""Pinsir is unable to battle, this win goes to Quilava!"

"Pinsir, return; you did your best. You can do it, Beedrill!" Bugsy shouted, throwing another Poké Ball. Free already had his Pokédex ready.

"Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokémon. Beedrill is the evolved form of Kakuna. Dual bug and poison-type."

Beedrill buzzed, looking around angrily until his eyes set into Quilava's.

"Quilava, use flame wheel!" Free commanded. Quilava rolled into a ball and shot flames out of his back before he thrust himself at Beedrill.

"Fly into the air, Beedrill!" Bugsy ordered. Beedrill buzzed and took off before Quilava reached him. Quilava quickly rolled out of a ball and glared up at the flying bug Pokémon. "Swoop down and use pin missile!"

Beedrill dived at Quilava and shot pin like missiles, each hitting Quilava. He shot fire out of his back, burning up most of Beedrill's weak attack. Quilava then fell on both of his paws and twitched a little bit, it seemed that a poison effect had begun.

"You better wrap up this battle Free! Don't let him beat you!" Clover cheered, her hands in the air.

Deka frowned at her, "Why are you cheering like that?"

"Beedrill, try your fury attack!" Bugsy ordered taking advantage of the possible poison effect. Beedrill flew quickly towards Quilava, both of its arms vigorously jabbing and ready to do damage.

Free smiled, "Quilava, smokescreen now!" Before Beedrill could get any close, Quilava released smoke from his mouth, filling the whole room and blinding everyone but Free and Quilava.

"Beedrill get rid of this smoke using your wings!" Bugsy commanded, constantly coughing from the smokescreen attack. Beedrill began to flap its wings at a fast pace and soon all of the smoke was gone from the whole gym but Quilava was missing.

Free pointed into the air with a devious smile on his face, "Quilava use your aerial quick attack!" Quilava was airborne, but quickly moved and shot towards Beedrill their bodies connecting and sending both Pokémon to the ground.

"Beedrill, use poison jab!" Bugsy shouted. Beedrill stood back up but weakly, his stingers on his arms filling with poison. Free took this as his chance to attack.

"Quilava, flame wheel!" Free yelled. Quilava set itself of fire then rolled into a ball once more and shot himself at Beedrill and clashing into the weakened Pokémon. Beedrill fell feebly to the ground unable to get back up.

"Beedrill is unable to battle. Victory goes to the challenger!" The referee declared, holding up a flag.

"Yeah! We did it!" Free shouted happily.

Bugsy began to walk his way over to Free, putting on a smile even in defeat. "I hoped you wouldn't have a fire-type, but you did. But you won this fair and square. Here is your Hive Badge." The Hive Badge was a circle with a lady bug imprint on it.

Free took his badge from Bugsy and smiled. "Hey, my friend Heather also wants to battle. Do you think you could?"

"Sure, I have another Pokémon that's just ready to go," Bugsy grinned mischievously as Heather stepped up to the battlefield.


	20. Battling the Bug Encyclopedia! Part Two

"This battle will be a one on one Pokémon battle. No time limit. Begin!" The referee called waving a flag.

"Go, Scyther!" Bugsy threw a Poké Ball into the middle of the field. A green mantis Pokémon with two scythe-like blades on its arms appeared from out of the Poké Ball, rubbing his blades together as if sharpening them for the battle.

Free whipped out his Pokédex. "Scyther, the Mantis Pokémon. Dual bug and flying-type," the Pokédex read. Free pushed a button for more information to help out Heather. "Scyther, the Mantis Pokémon. Its claws are sharp as swords, and it is a powerful flyer. This Pokémon is rarely seen by humans and almost never captured."

"You can do it, Mareep!" Heather said, letting Mareep out of her Poké Ball. "You show that 'rare' flying Pokémon who's boss!"

"Mareeeeep!" The tiny sheep Pokémon cried, ready for battle. The fluffiness of her wool was charged with static and puffed out.

"I didn't know that Heather had a Mareep. I do think that Mareep would do better than Totodile, but I know from experience that Scyther is a top battler," Deka commented with his finger at his lips thoughtfully. "Who do I cheer for?"

"I think that Mareep will be able to handle Scyther. We will have to wait and see," Free replied, trying to get Deka to be more on Heather's side.

Clover smiled and waved from their seats, "Go Heather! You can beat 'em!"

"Heather, if you feel the need to back out then I understand. Scyther is a pretty strong Pokémon," Bugsy explained… or taunted.

Heather grinned, "I think it is you who should back down! My Mareep is one tough cookie!"

"So be it, Scyther, slash it!" Bugsy ordered. Scyther rushed at Mareep, the blades on his arms out ready to strike.

"Mareeep… Mareeeep!" Mareep cried backing away. She let out a few sparks in fright and knocked Scyther back.

Heather looked around the gym for a way to give Mareep an advantage. "Get behind that tree, Mareep!" Heather yelled to her Pokémon. Mareep dashed behind the tree, cowering away from Scyther.

"X-scissor, Scyther!" Bugsy ordered. "Get rid of that tree!"

"Scyther!" He called back. In one swift movement, Scyther slashed the tree down, causing a lot of dirt to fly up when it hit the ground. When the dust cleared, Mareep was gone. Not even Heather knew where she had gone.

"Scyther, fly up and look around!" Bugsy commanded. Scyther rose into the air and began looking for Mareep. He spotted her trying to climb up another tree.

"Get it!" Bugsy said. "Use slash!"

Scyther swooped down at Mareep.

"Mareeeep!" Mareep screamed as she looked up and sent a burst of sparks out at Scyther again. Scyther fell to the ground. It tried to get back up but sparks emerged from his body signaling that Scyther could be in trouble.

"You paralyzed him!" Bugsy called. "Scyther, get up and use slash!"

Scyther twitched a little, but was unable to get up all the way.

"Mareep, give it a thundershock!" Heather ordered. Mareep sent a jolt of electricity surging through the bug Pokémon's body.

"Scyther, you can do it! Get up!" Bugsy called again. Scyther struggled but then flew up into the air. "Yeah! That's how to do it! Now, use razor wind!"

Scyther dove at Mareep, the air around him circling and increasing speed. Before Heather could make a command Scyther made contact with Mareep and sent the small yellow Pokémon into the air.

"Don't you give in and use your slash!" Bugsy ordered. In his head, the battle was his and he couldn't lose. One loss is already embarrassing, two would be just humiliating.

Scyther twitched a little bit before leaping into the air and slicing at Mareep who in the air had no advantage. Mareep fell back to the ground; the end seemed near.

The referee raised up a flag, "Mareep is unable to-" He began but noticed that Mareep began to stand up once more. "Never mind, continue!"

Mareep stood back up and released sparks from her fleece as a warning that she was ready to battle at her best.

Bugsy smiled, "Mareep is really one tough cookie like you said Heather but I doubt that she can continue much longer. Scyther try one more razor wind!"

Scyther shifted its body and the wind began to rise at his sides before he started a run for Mareep. Heather watched in fear, not knowing what she could do for a counter attack.

"Don't you dare lose!" Free screamed from the sidelines. "I refuse to watch you lose!"

Heather smiled and shook off her fear, "Mareep, use discharge!" She called. In that second, Mareep gathered all of the stored up electrical power inside of her and unleashed it in a big wave. Scyther was stopped in his tracks and was sent flying backwards. He lay limply in the dirt.

"Scyther is unable to battle! Victory goes to the challenger!" The referee announced.

"She did it!" Clover squealed.

Deka stared on with his mouth wide open, "No… way…"

"Scyther, return. You put up a good fight…" Bugsy murmured. He then smiled and made his way towards Heather just like he did with Free. "That was an intense battle, Heather. You deserve the Hive badge." He reached out his hand and revealed a second Hive badge.

Heather took the badge from Bugsy's hand and happily pinned it on her bag. "Thank you, I had a great battle. Mareep, return." Mareep smiled before it was absorbed back into its ball.

"Hey… can we all go now?" Deka asked impatiently.

"Sure," Heather replied. Deka led the way out of the gym. As soon as they turned a corner, a girl with wavy, dirty blonde hair and grayish eyes came skipping way too quickly around it, running into Heather and Free. Both trainers fell to the floor with their eyes wide open from shock.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sooo sorry you guys. Here let me help you up," she said offering a hand. Before Heather could take it, the girl dove for her Pokémon egg.

"Hey, this is so cool! What's in it?" She said, shaking it and putting an ear up to it. "Oh wow, that is so cool! It's making noises!"

"Don't shake it! And give it back!" Heather screamed, jumping up and taking the egg back.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. My name's Rachael," the girl said smiling. Heather glared at her.

"I'm Fr−"

"Oh my gosh, is that a Chikorita!" Rachael interrupted Free to pick up his Pokémon. Chikorita bit Rachael and she dropped it. "Ouch! All I have is a Whismur. He's my best friend!"

"I bet he's your only friend…" Deka murmured.

"Huh?" Rachael asked, turning around. "Who are you!"

"Deka. And this is my sister Clover," he replied. Rachael's PokéGear started beeping in an annoying tone and vibrating. She looked at it and frowned.

"I have to go you guys. You're great friends," She yelled before giving each of the four trainers a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, which none of them returned. "Tootles!" Rachael called out before she ran off and everybody sighed in relief.

"I hope we never have to see her again," Deka laughed, as did the others.

Well… if only it really would be the last time…

**A/N So we updated every single one of our stories today and even added in a Halloween Special for our first story because today is Heather's actual birthday (she turns 17). If you have time you should all go through and read those stories for us! Love you all, peace!**


	21. Rematch Without Restraint

"How do we get to Goldenrod?" Free asked Heather who was squinting at her PokéGear.

"We have to go through… Gosh, the writing is so tiny. It says Ilex Forest," she replied, stuffing her PokéGear back in her pocket.

"I heard there's a legendary Pokémon that guards Ilex Forest," Deka said. "Let's go!"

"Hey! Free!" An angry voice called from behind the four trainers. They turned around to see a skinny red haired boy chasing them; his hand outstretched holding a Poké Ball. It was Spade.

"You still have my trainer card! I want it back!" Spade yelled.

"You're going to have to battle me for it," Free smirked. He loved winning against Spade ever since Spade's Chimchar had beaten his Chikorita. Something was new about Spade though, he now had a girl with him. Free had thought that no other being could deal with him enough to travel around with him. "Who-who is that?"

"Hi! My name is Abby! So you must be Free?" Abby greeted with a smile. She wore blue jeans and had a grey jacket that covered up her green shirt. Her hair was short and auburn color, her eyes were that of a green color.

Heather smiled back, "I never imagined that Spade would have a traveling partner. How'd that happen?"

Abby opened her mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted. "Abby, I'm about to battle. You can talk later." He then focused on Free. "I was prepared for this," Spade grinned wickedly and threw the Poké Ball in his hand. "Come on out, Machop!"

A turtle-face Pokémon with grey-blue skin and three light-brown ridges on its head appeared from the ball. It was scrawny, but muscular, and had fire blazing in its red eyes.

Free laughed at Spade's rudeness then pulled out his Pokédex. Now that he was comfortable with the setting of it, he always liked hearing the extra data the Pokédex gave to him. "Machop, the Superpower Pokémon. Fighting-type. Machop's muscles are special - they never get sore no matter how much they are used in exercise. This Pokémon has sufficient power to hurl a hundred adult humans. It continually undertakes strenuous training to master all forms of martial arts. Its strength lets it easily hoist a sumo wrestler onto its shoulders."

"A Machop, huh? What a strong Pokémon! Go, Wooper!" Free said, hoping Wooper would battle this time.

"Woopa!" Wooper smiled happily at Machop.

"Wooper, headbutt Machop!" Free ordered. Wooper tilted his head slightly as if thinking and then lowered his head and charged at Machop.

"Dodge and karate chop it!" Spade told his Pokémon. Machop stepped to the side and hit the top of Wooper's head. It didn't affect him at all, other than accidentally turning Wooper's body straight into Machop. Wooper kept charging and hit Machop in the stomach. Machop flew backwards but got up quickly.

"Wooper, use water gun!" Free said. Wooper opened his mouth as wide as it would go and blasted a stream of water at Machop who was not suspecting it.

"Machop, use low kick!" Spade commanded after Machop shook the water off of himself.

Machop slid and kicked Wooper, knocking him off his feet. Wooper sat on the ground, stunned and wide-eyed and mouth open in shock… and then, he yawned. Spade's Pokémon yawned back. He swayed a little bit before falling to the ground, asleep.

"Machop, return," Spade muttered harshly. "Go, Monferno!"

Free looked at Wooper who seemed to have put himself to sleep with his yawn.

"Come on back, Wooper!" Free said, holding out Wooper's Poké Ball. "Go, Quilava!"

"Qui…" Quilava said, pawing at the ground, eager for battle.

"Monferno, use mach punch!" Spade ordered. Monferno quickly threw a punch, hitting Quilava in the jaw. Quilava got up off of the ground, shaking some dirt off with fire in his eyes.

"Quilava, use flame wheel!" Free commanded. Quilava quickly rolled into a ball while covering himself with flames and rolled at Monferno at full speed. Monferno took heavy damage, but got back up. Before Monferno could attack, Quilava unrolled to change direction and rolled again at Monferno, knocking him into the ground. Dirt flew everywhere from Quilava's attack, clouding the battlefield.

"Monferno! Dig!" Spade called through the dust. When everything cleared, Monferno was deep underground.

"Quilava, blast fire down into the hole," Free ordered. Quilava ran to the whole and let the flames roar from his mouth. Monferno quickly surfaced, quickly digging his way out of the flames that followed him up out of the hole.

"I believe you can do it Spade!" Abby cheered.

Spade glared at her, "Monferno use a flamethrower!" While Monferno was still in the air it released flames from its mouth. The flames connected with Quilava directly and sent Quilava into a retreat.

"Remember that this is Quilava's second match today," Clover reminded Free from the sidelines. It was clear that she cared about the Pokémon.

Abby nodded, "You should remember that this is Monferno is still pretty tired from its match from yesterday.

"I know that Monferno can't be THAT tired. Monferno, try your flame wheel," Spade ordered, disregarding Abby's warnings.

"We'll go ahead and respond with our own flame wheel! You can do it Quilava!" Free called.

"Monferno!" Spade's Pokémon called out while flames emerged from its mouth and it curled into a ball to be thrown into Quilava.

Quilava's back lit up and it was soon a giant flame that was rolling for Monferno. "Quilava!" It called out while rolling; its fighting spirit burned almost as hot as its flame. Both Pokémon connected, their flames blazing and smoke arising from the connection. Soon an explosion from the connection blew up in the middle of their battle and both Pokémon were flung back to the feet of their trainers, unconscious.

Spade spit at the ground and held out a Poké Ball. "Return, Monferno."

Free smiled and returned his Pokémon. "I guess that means no trainer card, eh?"

"I _will _get it back," Spade glared at Free. He turned in disgust and ran back to where he came from, Abby not far behind.

"Who was that?" Deka and Clover asked at the same time.

"Just a dude Heather and I met. He stole a Pokémon from Professor Elm, and we've been keeping an eye on him. Plus, I have his trainer card and I won't give it back unless he wins a battle against me," Free explained.

"Well, he's gone now. Let's get on our way to Goldenrod City!" Heather shouted, running into the dim foreboding forest, her friends following.


	22. A Grimey Situation

"Are we lost?" Clover asked, looking around at the dark forest.

"Why would you think we're lost?" Heather replied. She stopped to adjust the Pokémon egg she held in her arms. Recently, it seemed to be shifting itself in her arms, or maybe she was just imagining it.

"I swear we've passed this tree at least ten times," she said, stopping in her tracks.

"It is getting pretty dark out," Deka added. "Maybe we just can't see where we need to be going."

"We should set up camp, then," Free suggested. He dropped his bag and everyone else did too. They started laying out their sleeping bags, let all their Pokémon out, and made a small fire. Heather had Totodile keep an eye on the fire in case it got out of control or if Free's Wooper tried to touch it, but he was currently preoccupied chasing the lit up ball on the end of Mareep's tail. Quilava rested lazily around the fire, trying to ignore the noise around him while Chikorita nuzzled up to Totodile.

Clover had two Pokémon; her Torchic, and a blue dragon-type Pokémon called Bagon. She didn't know much about it, other than she got it in a cave she was exploring with an older cousin in the Hoenn region and it tried to headbutt her. Deka also had just one other Pokémon than the Scyther Heather and Free had seen earlier: Bulbasaur.

The four trainers talked about everything that had happened and Deka told some stories about the Kanto region. They drifted off to sleep with their Pokémon surrounding them.

Heather awoke when the sun rose. She opened her eyes, but all she could see was black. A horrendous stench also filled her nostrils and she began to flail.

"I'm blind!" She screamed in horror. She reached for her eyes but she touched a thick, smelly goop instead.

"Grimer!" The goop shouted. A big purple glob slid off of Heather's face.

"What's with all the screaming?" Free asked, rubbing his eyes.

"This… thing was on my face!" Heather replied, pointing at the purple pile of sludge.

"It's just a Grimer," Deka said. He had also been woken up by Heather's scream. "They're everywhere in Kanto, I bet they live here in Johto too. He's probably just wandering around the forest."

"Hey, Heather. Where's your egg?" Free asked, looking around. By Heather's sleeping bag was a pile of eggshells, some with some sticky purple stuff still left on them.

"That 'Grimer' ate my baby!" Heather yelled at the Pokémon. It frowned and began to cry.

"Heather, I think that 'Grimer' is your 'baby,'" Free said. Heather's eyes widened.

"Do you really think so?" She asked, trying to make the Grimer stop crying.

"I do," Deka said. "The first person or Pokémon it sees it thinks is its mom. That was probably you, Heather. Maybe you should just hold it."

"Hold it?" Heather said sarcastically, trying to pick it up. It held for a little bit before falling back to the ground. "It slips right out of my arms!"

"Let me try," Deka said, trying to pick up Grimer. He immediately turned away and ran into Heather's arms, sticking to her body.

"Well, I guess that's one way to do it," she said, wrinkling her nose at the smell. "I better get you in a Poké Ball."

Heather tapped the Poké Ball on Grimer and he didn't struggle to get out. The ball let out a soft _ding_ and Heather put it in her bag.

"Do you think there's a stream or lake nearby? I want to wash this smell off of me," Heather said in disgust.

"I'm sure there is! I heard running water last night walking around here," Free replied. Everyone went silent, listening for it. They could hear the steady trickle of a stream.

"It's that way," Clover pointed to the left. She had just woken up. The trainers gathered their stuff and began to walk towards the sound.

When they got close they heard a couple of small voices crying softly. They ran towards them and found a box of four small Pokémon. Each of them were brown and had fluffy fur.

"Eevee!" Free shouted, excitedly pulling out his Pokédex.

"Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon. Normal-type. Eevee has an unstable genetic makeup that suddenly mutates due to the environment in which it lives. Radiation from various stones causes this Pokémon to evolve."

"Aw, I think they were abandoned," Clover whispered, picking one of them up. "Do you think we should take them?"

"They probably need somebody to take care of them. There are four of them, so we could each have one," Deka replied, picking another up.

"They're so cute!" Free said, picking up another. Heather took the last one and cradled it into her chest. All the Eevee stopped crying and gazed into their new trainer's eyes.

"Swee, swee…" they cooed happily, nuzzling against their new trainers.

"Well, we're definitely keeping them, right?" Clover asked, placing her new Pokémon on the ground. It cuddled up to her leg and looked up at her adoringly. She squeaked a happy squeak.

"Definitely," the other three replied.


	23. A Battle for Direction

"Aren't Eevee able to evolve into a lot of different Pokémon?" Clover asked, her Eevee trailing behind her closely.

"Yep! There are at least seven Eevee evolutions," Free replied. His Eevee was cradled into his chest. "Whatever happens with my little Eevee happens. I can't wait though!"

"I want a Jolteon," Heather said. She was also carrying her Eevee. He was happily playing with the Poké Ball she wore around her neck.

"Well I'm sending mine to Professor Oak when we get to the next Pokémon Center. I don't really think I want to keep an Eevee right now," Deka said.

"Why don't you want−" Heather was cut off.

"Shh! Do you guys hear that?" Clover asked. She stopped walking and looked like she was straining to hear something.

"Blu… blu…" Something cooed from near the bottom of a tree.

Clover ran to the noise. When she returned, she was holding a small blue bird whose wings looked like fluffy clouds.

"What is it?" Deka asked.

"It's a Swablu. I thought they only lived in Hoenn… so this one must be lost," Clover replied. "I think her wing is broken."

"Swablu, the Cotton Bird Pokémon. Dual normal and flying-type. Swablu has light and fluffy wings that are like cottony clouds. This Pokémon is not frightened of people. It lands on the heads of people and sits there like a cotton-fluff hat. Swablu loves to make things clean. If it spots something dirty, it will wipe and polish it with its cottony wings. If its wings become dirty, this Pokémon finds a stream and showers itself," Free's had his Pokédex read.

"We should take it to a Pokémon Center then," Free said, stuffing away his Pokédex.

"But we're still kind of lost," Heather said, looking around. "There's no way to know which way we need to go."

"Maybe if we walk in one direction, we'll find the edge of the forest and then we'll know," Deka suggested.

After awhile of walking, Heather spotted another trainer walking around in the forest with bright pink hair. She ran to her.

"Hey! Excuse me! Do you know how to get out of this forest to Goldenrod City?" Heather asked.

The girl looked at her and then the three other trainers behind her. "I do know the way to Goldenrod."

"Could you help us out then?" Free asked, kind of annoyed.

"I could. But I only will help if one of you will battle me," the girl with pink hair replied.

"I'll do it," Deka volunteered, glancing at Free. He was trying to impress him.

"Okay. How about a one on one battle?" The girl asked.

"Sure. Come on out, Bulbasaur!" Deka threw a Poké Ball, releasing a plant-like animal looking Pokémon. Free got out his Pokédex.

"Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. Dual Grass and Poison-type. Bulbasaur, it bears the seed of a plant on its back from birth. The seed slowly develops. Researchers are unsure whether to classify Bulbasaur as a plant or animal. Bulbasaur are extremely calm and are difficult to capture in the wild."

"Go, Nidorina!" The pink haired girl said; a blue mouse like Pokémon appeared from the ball.

"Wow!" Free said, using his device for the third time. "I've got to use my Pokédex a lot today!"

"Nidorina, the Poison Pin Pokémon. Poison-type. When Nidorina are with their friends or family, they keep their barbs tucked away to prevent hurting each other. This Pokémon appears to become nervous if separated from the others. Its barbs grow slower than Nidorino's."

"Bulbasaur, whip it with vine whip!" Deka ordered, quickly making the first move of the battle.

"Nidorina, double kick!" The girl called out quickly. Nidorina kicked both vines away from her with two kicks.

"It looks like this won't be so easy for you Deka," Free taunted from the sidelines.

Deka scowled at Free, "We'll show him! Bulbasaur, use your tackle attack!" Bulbasaur jumped forward to strike Nidorina but the girl with pink hair was prepared.

"Dodge it then use your double kick!" She ordered. As soon as Bulbasaur was within attacking distance, Nidorina dodged the attack and kicked Bulbasaur into the air.

"Use your vine whip to break your fall!" Deka screamed desperately. Two vines emerged from Bulbasaur's back and smacked the ground to give the fall a cushion. Bulbasaur landed easily as though he was never struck.

"Bulba-Bulbasaur!" It taunted. Bulbasaur seemed to want nothing else but to win this match.

"You see! My brother is actually a really good battler!" Clover squealed.

Free grinned, "We'll see how good."

"Try razor leaf," Deka commanded.

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur cried angrily, releasing a flurry of leaves and sending them flying at Nidorina.

"Nidorina, fury swipe them away!" The girl said. Nidorina stood on her hind legs and swiped the leaves away from her, not injuring her even slightly. "Now, poison jab!"

"Nido!" Nidorina replied. She filled her barbs with poison and charged at Bulbasaur.

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur cried in pain as the barbs pierced his skin, damaging and poisoning him badly.

"I think that's it!" The pink hair girl said, watching Bulbasaur try and then fail to get back up and fight. "Nidorina, return! Even though you did lose, I guess I can be nice and still show you the way to out."

Deka returned Bulbasaur to his Poké Ball before muttering "Thanks…" He was upset that he couldn't impress Free.

"Well, let's go then," Heather sighed as the pink haired girl began to weave her way through the trees.

Once they could see daylight again, the pink haired girl said good bye and ran into the distance. Heather pulled out her PokéGear and checked the map.

"Goldenrod is straight north from here," she said. "We won't make it by dark, but it won't be that long of a walk by morning."

"We better get walking, then," Free replied, taking the lead. "I can't wait to win another gym battle!"


	24. Goodnight Sunshine!

Finally, after a day of being stuck, wandering hopelessly around in Ilex Forest, the four friends finally made it out of the darkness.

"It's so great to see the sun again!" Clover shouted, twirling around with her face to the sky. "I thought we were going to be stuck in the forest forever!"

"Blu!" The Swablu Clover had found in the forest chirped from atop Clover's head where she had decided to rest her injured wing.

"Swee, swee!" Her Eevee agreed, chasing her around. Clover fell to the ground with Swablu on her head and her Eevee pounced on top of her chest. Eevee started to glow a bright white and grow.

"Is it evolving?" Free asked watching the Pokémon.

"Espee, Espeon!" The Pokémon cried after she stopped glowing.

"My Eevee evolved!" cried Clover. She tried to sit up but her Espeon was sitting on her stomach. Clover gave up on sitting up and pulled Espeon into a big hug. "Now you're even cuter! And you're purple!"

"Aw, Clover… You've always wanted an Espeon. But… isn't the ball on its head supposed to be red?" Deka asked, watching his sister. "Your Espeon's is clear… and it kind of looks misty. Also don't you think that is a little bit early for it to be evolving?"

"It doesn't matter, Deka. Not all Pokémon are the same. It just means there's something special about her," Clover replied, getting to her feet and making sure the Swablu on her head was alright.

"It's supposed to be a friendship evolution and I guess that is a way of Eevee thanking Clover," Free stated, clearly trying to make Deka looked dumber than he already was. He then proceeded to pull out his Pokédex.

"Espeon, the Sun Pokémon. Psychic-type. Espeon is extremely loyal to any trainer it considers to be worthy. It is said that this Pokémon developed its precognitive powers to protect its trainer from harm."

"Well at least I won't have to protect you as much," Deka muttered, commenting on the Pokédex data.

"Hey, you guys remember that we have to be walking all day if you want to make it to Goldenrod by at least tomorrow," Heather reminded everyone. They nodded and the four began walking again.

By the time the sun was setting, everyone was completely exhausted.

"Can we set up camp now?" Heather whined. She stopped walking and took a seat on a smooth rock that was behind her.

"You're the one who wanted us to walk all day," Deka replied. Heather stuck her tongue out at him.

Heather and Free let their Pokémon out of their Poké Balls and laughed as Wooper once again jumped at the shining ball on Mareep's tail and Chikorita tackled Totodile like usual. Grimer tried to cuddle up to Heather and she tried to scoot away, but Grimer didn't notice.

Deka let out his Bulbasaur and Scyther and watched as Bulbasaur nervously sniffed his Eevee. Clover surrounded herself with her Torchic, Bagon, and Espeon and nestled the injured Swablu into Espeon's fur and then lay down beside them.

The four trainers talked until it got dark and then decided to go to sleep so they could have an early start the next morning.

"Hey, you guys! Wake up!" Free's voice shouted urgently. The sun wasn't up yet, but it was starting to creep over the horizon.

"What is it?" Heather groaned, rubbing her eyes and gently picking Mareep up off of her stomach where she was sleeping peacefully.

"My Eevee evolved into an Umbreon!" Free shouted, waking up Clover and Deka. Clover was the first one to see Free's Umbreon who had blue rings around him instead of yellow and some hair that stuck up on his head.

"Aw, it's so pretty," Clover yawned and stretched. Espeon grumbled as she woke her up by scratching her behind the ears.

"The blue is pretty cool. I've never seen an Umbreon with blue rings," Deka mumbled sleepily.

"Doesn't that mean it's supposed to be a shiny Pokémon, Free?" Heather asked while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Free shrugged, "You'd think, but Eevee wasn't shiny so I have no real explanation. I guess that our Eevee are just special Eevee."

"Bre…" Umbreon muttered, waking up and looking around. He looked down at himself and looked confused. Umbreon sort of shrugged and nuzzled his head into Free's palm. Free stood up and looked at the rising sun before he pulled out his Pokédex once more.

"Umbreon, the Moonlight Pokémon. Dark-type. Umbreon evolved as a result of exposure to the moon's waves. It hides silently in darkness and waits for its foes to make a move. The rings on its body glow when it leaps to attack. When agitated, this Pokémon protects itself by spraying poisonous sweat from its pores."

"When are we leaving?" Free asked, tucking away the Pokédex and smiling, thinking his new Pokémon was so cool.

"Well, sine we're all up we might as well go now," Heather replied. The trainers returned their Pokémon with the exception of Free's Chikorita and the Swablu that Clover placed on her head to keep safe.

"We still need to get Swablu to a Pokémon Center," Clover said, concerned. However, Swablu chirped happily.

"Blu!" She cried, flapping her wings.

"I think Swablu is healed," Deka said, watching the bird Pokémon. Swablu took off into the air.

"Is this good-bye?" Clover called to the Swablu. Swablu swooped back down and stayed in midair in front of Clover's face and chirped before landing on her head and nesting.

"She wants to go with you," Heather said. "It's just like my Mareep after we helped her."

"Do you want to come with us, Swablu?" Clover asked, taking Swablu off of her head.

"Blu!" Swablu replied. Clover took a Poké Ball out of her bag and Swablu went inside. She then popped out and landed on Clover's head.

Heather laughed. "I guess Swablu just wants to ride on your head!"


	25. The Department Store

"I can see the Goldenrod Department Store from here!" Heather shouted excitedly. The four trainers were approaching the large city.

"Well I can see the Radio Tower from here," Free laughed.

"Have you ever been to the department store before?" Clover asked. "I wonder if it's big like the one in Lilycove…"

"I heard it's just as big as the one in Celadon City in Kanto," Deka added.

"I've never been to it, but my cousin Splash tells me it has everything in it," Heather replied. "But I do want to visit the Radio Tower, too."

"Hey, Heather… what are you going to evolve your Eevee into?" Deka asked suddenly.

"Why?" Heather replied, her hand automatically reaching into her bag and gripping her Eevee's Poké Ball.

"Well, you and I still have and Eevee. I'm sending mine to Professor Oak to take care of when we get to Goldenrod, so I was just curious," Deka shrugged. Heather tilted her head as if thinking.

"I think I'll let Eevee decided what he wants to be," she finally said. "I could let him pick from the fire, water, and thunderstones and see what he'd want to be because I'm sure if he wanted to be an Espeon or Umbreon, he would've evolved by now like Free or Clover's. And if he didn't want to evolve, then I wouldn't make him."

"That's a good idea, actually," Deka replied slowly. "Giving your Pokémon a choice like that. But where will you get the stones?"

"Splash always got waterstones from the Goldenrod Department store. He always said they had everything, so they'll have them there. I'm sure," Heather nodded and smiled.

"So where are we going first?" Clover asked as they finally reached the city.

"Department Store," Heather voted.

"Radio Tower," Free said.

"I don't know… I want to see what Heather's Eevee will pick. So… Department Store," Deka sighed.

"Well you're out voted, Free. I want to go to the Department Store!" Clover shouted happily.

"It's okay, I was all right with either," Free shrugged. "But how do we get to it?"

"Maybe my PokéGear will have a map of Goldenrod…" Heather replied, pulling it out of her pocket. Sure enough, the map card had a special map just for Goldenrod since it was such a big city. "It's actually not far from where we are right now. Come on!"

The four trainers ran excitedly into the city, looking over the tops of buildings for the Department Store. Finally, they reached the front doors and walked inside.

"I wonder what floor the stones are on…" Heather wondered aloud. Free tapped Heather on the shoulder.

"Heather, look! Elevators!" He said excitedly. Heather and Free ran to them and stopped in front of the shiny metal doors.

"Have you guys never been on an elevator before?" Deka asked.

"No… we've never been out of our hometowns much," Heather replied. "How do you work this?"

Deka pushed the "up" button and waited. The elevator let out a ding and the doors open. "Get in, you guys!"

The four got into the elevator and Deka stood by the buttons. "What floor?" He asked with a big smile on his face. Clover reached behind her brother and pushed a button.

"Hey! I wanted to do that!" Deka whined.

"Well I wanted to go to the fifth floor!" Clover argued back. Deka sighed and gave in and a few seconds later the elevator dinged again. The shiny doors slid open and the four trainers stepped out.

"Hey! How can I help you kids?" A smiley man shouted from behind a counter.

"What floor are evolutionary stones on?" Heather asked.

"Why, they're right over here. How can I help you?" The guy asked. Heather reached into her bag and pulled out Eevee's Poké Ball.

"Choose a stone, Eevee," Heather let her Pokémon out.

"Ah, an Eevee," the man said setting a yellow, red, and blue stone onto the counter. Heather placed Eevee by the stones.

"Now remember, Eevee. You don't have to pick one if you don't want to," Heather stroked her Pokémon gently.

"Swee, swee!" Eevee replied, looking at his choices carefully. He sat on the counter and scratched behind his ear before walking towards the thunderstone.

"I guess it'll be the thunderstone, then," Heather told the sales guy and handing him some money.

"Thank you, come again!" The man replied. Then, Eevee started to glow. It's fur began to grow longer and its body taller. It's once soft-looking fur stuck out in spikes.

"Jolt!" He cried once he was done. Lightning crackled between the spiky fur on his back that had a sparkly glisten to it.

"A Jolteon!" Deka exclaimed examining Heather's newly evolved Eevee. "That's pretty cool."

"Jolteon, the Lightning Pokémon. Electric-type. Jolteon's cells generate a low level of electricity. This power is amplified to 10,000 volts by the static electricity of its fur, enabling the Pokémon to drop thunderbolts. The bristling fur is made of electrically charged needles that can pierce its enemies," Free's Pokédex read.

"He's so cute," Clover said. "But not as cute as my Espeon!"


	26. A Day in Radio

"Can we go to the Radio Tower next?" Free asked once the four trainers had exited the Department Store.

"Of course we can!" Heather, Deka, and Clover all answered.

The four made their way to the Radio Tower. It wasn't hard to find considering it stood over all the other buildings in Goldenrod. They entered through the front door and looked around; the place was huge.

"Hello!" A cheery lady called from behind a desk.

"Hi," the four replied. Deka seemed a little bit intimidated.

"Would any of you like to take a quiz to win a free radio? It plays the stations broadcast from this radio tower all day long!" The lady smiled a large smile and set a small radio on the desk.

"Oh, I'll take it!" Clover volunteered, walking over to in front of the desk.

"First question: What is the evolve form of Rattata?"

"That's easy," Clover smiled. "It's Raticate."

Deka looked dumbfound, "Rattata evolves?"

"Good! Second question: What type is the Pokémon Vileplume?"

"It is a grass-type Clover!" Deka whispered. "I would know, I'm a grass-type expert!"

"Grass _and _poison-type," Clover answered, emphasizing 'and' because she knew the lady was trying to trick her. She elbowed Deka in his side to get him to shut up.

"Great! Now the third and final question: What two types together take strong damage from a fighting-type move?"

"A radio is totally not worth a question that hard!" Deka screeched.

"A dark and ice-type," Clover replied.

"Well, young lady. You just won yourself a brand new radio!" The lady said handing the radio to Clover. "I'm really impressed."

"Yay! This is the first thing I've ever one!" Clover span around in a circle happily.

"Well, I guess there's nothing to see here at all, really. Upstairs is blocked off to visitors," Deka pointed to a man who was guarding the stairs. "I'm sure there are plenty of other things to do in the town."

"Of course there is!" Heather said. "We'll just have to find them!"

Once the four trainers stepped out of a radio tower, a short, older woman with long, frizzy grey-brown hair ran up to Free shouting. She held a large book in one hand and her fingers were covered with large rings.

"Release your Pokémon with the flames that soar from his back!" She screamed.

"Huh?" Free asked.

"I sense anger and despair! Quilava! Release Quilava from his Poké Ball!" Her eyes bulged and Free looked scared.

"Uh, okay. Come out, Quilava," Free muttered. The lady began to pant heavily and Free wrinkled his nose. He could smell a funky smell coming from the woman's breath.

"Qui?" Quilava looked around confused, sensing no battling was to be done.

"Yes… Quilava. He was abused by a past trainer as a Cyndaquil. He ran away after he received his scar from the trainer's Scyther…" The lady eyed the scar that ran through Quilava's left eye. Quilava turned his face away from the lady, not liking how she was staring at it. "I can also feel quarrel between the trainer's Feraligatr and Typhlosion."

At the sound of the Pokémon's names, Quilava shrunk down and a petrified expression grew on his face.

"Aaaaahhh! But you! You are the trainer this Pokémon needs." With wide eyes, she continued her rant, staring into Free's own wide eyes. She then turned to Heather, pointing a gnarled finger at her. "And you… you will find the partner for the injured. The Pokémon with a scarred shell and a scarred heart!"

With those final words, she ran into the distance screaming, with Free, Heather, Deka, and Clover all staring in disbelief.

"What the heck just happened?" Deka asked.

Free shook his head and kneeled down to Quilava's height. "Is what she said true?"

Quilava hesitated before he nodded and turned away. Free held out Quilava's Poké Ball and let the beam of red return him.

"That was one crazy lady," Free muttered and turned to Heather. "What do you think she meant about the 'Pokémon with the scarred shell and a scarred heart!'?"

Heather shrugged. "Maybe I get a Pokémon with a shell?"

"She was scary!" Clover screamed, covering her face with her hands. Deka wrapped an arm around his sister, comforting her. Clover had never seen anyone as crazy as her before.

"She's gone now, sis," Deka whispered, before he burst out laughing.

"What?" Heather asked him.

"I thought she was kind of funny," Deka grinned. Heather started laughing after that, and then Free. Finally Clover uncovered her face and was laughing too.

**A/N I'd like to apologize for the late update. This past week has been terrible due to finals and I've had no time to do anything. This is a short but a chapter that sets up for future chapters. I'd recon you remember this here chapter!**


	27. Oh Noctowl!

It was getting close to nighttime, but all four trainers were still filled with energy.

"Maybe we should just go out and train our Pokémon," Deka suggested.

"Yeah, I want to be ready for the gym battle," Free agreed.

"Well, let's head out of town then!" Heather said. Once they got to a heavily forested area, they sat down to rest for a few minutes before they started walking around, looking for Pokémon.

"Hoo…hoo…" A Noctowl and a couple of Hoothoot called from the surrounding trees.

Free grabbed at his Pokédex to scan the small owl Pokémon.

"Hoothoot, the Owl Pokémon. Dual normal and flying-type. Hoothoot has an internal organ that senses and tracks the earth's rotation. Using this special organ, this Pokémon begins hooting at precisely the same time every day. It always stands on one foot. It changes feet so fast, the movement can rarely be seen," Free's Pokédex read.

Suddenly, a large Noctowl swooped out of a tree towards the four trainers. It seemed as though it was trying to fend off the trainers from the area. Free also tried to get Pokédex data on Noctowl.

"Noctowl, the Owl Pokémon. Dual normal and flying-type. Noctowl is the evolved form of Hoothoot. Its eyes are specially adapted. They concentrate even faint light and enable it to see in the dark. When it needs to think, it rotates its head 180 degrees to sharpen its intellectual power."

Deka stood in front of Clover to prevent her from being hurt. Playing the heroic older brother made him feel better about himself. "I'll take care of this!" He said. "Go, Bulbasaur!" He threw his Poké Ball into the air and out from it, revealed his trusty Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur cried.

"Use vine whip to pull him down!" Deka ordered. Bulbasaur sent out his vines, but Noctowl quickly dove out of the way and used what looked like a wing attack on Bulbasaur, sending him flying into a tree.

"You can do it, Bulbasaur! Try razor leaf!" Deka encouraged his Pokémon. Bulbasaur pushed himself up and sent a flurry of sharp leaves flying towards the Noctowl. Only a few hit and Noctowl seemed to be unaffected as he swooped down once more.

"Dodge it!" Deka yelled. But Bulbasaur was too slow. Noctowl's wing collided with Bulbasaur's side, sending him flying once again. This time, Bulbasaur landed on his feet and began to glow. The bulb on his back opened into a flower and he grew in size.

"Ivysaur!" The newly evolved Pokémon cried.

Free then pointed his Pokédex at the Ivysaur to get any data he could.

"Ivysaur, the Seed Pokémon. Dual grass and poison-type. There is a bud on this Pokémon's back. To support its weight, Ivysaur's legs and trunk grow thick and strong. If it starts spending more time lying in the sunlight, it's a sign that the bud will bloom into a large flower soon."

"Alright! I knew you were close to evolving!" Deka shouted happily. "Let's give them your razor leaf one more time!" Ivysaur lifted his chin up high to show that he wasn't scared of the Noctowl before releasing a plethora of leaves from its flower. These leaves were much strong than before, each connected and clearly doing much more damage.

Noctowl fell towards the ground but swooped up to charge for Ivysaur.

"Watch out Ivysaur!" Clover screamed, clearly she didn't want Ivysaur to have anymore loses since the girl with pink hair.

Deka grinned, "Use your vine whip and throw Noctowl away from you!" Ivysaur didn't flinch one bit and released his vines. The vines smacked against Noctowl and threw the Pokémon away so that no more damage could be done. It struggled but eventually flew back up into the air. Noctowl then tried one more time to swoop down to attack.

"Now use stun spore on Noctowl!" Deka ordered. He could see that both Pokémon were tiring out and this could be the last shot.

Ivysaur shot yellow powder out of his flower at Noctowl, hitting him right in the face. Noctowl fell to the ground, unmoving from paralysis.

"Now it's time to capture it… Poké Ball, go!" Deka yelled, throwing a Poké Ball at the Noctowl. It rocked three times before letting out a soft ding.

Deka picked up the ball. "Yeah, I caught a Noctowl!"

"Good job, bro. Your Bulbasaur evolved too!" Clover cheered, giving her brother a hug.

"Yeah, I know I'm great," Deka smirked in the darkness.

Ivysaur swayed a bit before falling to the ground from exhaustion. Deka knelt down to pet him before returning him into his ball. "You did a great job buddy."

Free sighed, "I really wanted to battle it. After all, you're not battling the gym leader. WE are…"

Heather let out a yawn. "Walking makes me tired," she said.

"It's got to be pretty late, maybe we should just walk back to town and stay at the Pokémon Center," Free replied.

"Sounds like a good idea," Clover agreed. They began to walk into town. Three of them were getting tired, but Deka was still celebrating his new Pokémon capture.

When they got there, Deka stopped at one of the computers. Soon, a picture popped up on the screen.

"Why hello, Deka!" Professor Oak smiled. "What are you doing calling at this time?" He looked around before noticing Free and Heather. "And you two! How did you meet up with Deka?"

"It's good to see you again Professor. We met Deka awhile back in Azalea," Free explained.

Heather wrinkled her nose, "He's been… real fun…"

"Haha, it's nice to know that you young ones are looking after each other. I'd like to thank you, Free, for gathering all of that Pokémon data for me too," Professor Oak told Free with his usual smile.

Free opened his mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted.

"Anyways! I wanted to send a Pokémon to you to take care of before I forget," Deka replied, taking Eevee's Poké Ball out of his pocket and placing it in the transfer machine. Deka pushed a button and beam of white light took the Poké Ball away. A few seconds later, Oak was holding it.

"An Eevee?" He asked. "That is a rare Pokémon. Are you sure you don't want to keep it with you?"

"I'm saving it for later," Deka shrugged. "I have no use for him right now."

"Ah… Well, if you're sure… I'll take good care of him! Good-bye, Deka," Professor Oak said before his pictured disappeared of the screen.

"Come on, Deka. Nurse Joy just gave us a room," Free said. As they were walking down the dark hallway, Heather ran into something she couldn't see.

"Hey, watch it!" A girl yelled, turning on a flashlight.

"Oh, it's you," the girl said. The four trainers' eyes began to adjust to the sudden light and they could see the girl now.

"Lauren? What are you doing here? Free asked.

**A/N Here is our Christmas Present to you. We're posting Chapters! A Christmas Special, Free and Heather's, and a Spade chapter! We're sorry about Azul's story for any of you that enjoy that story but we plan to post a chapter within the next few days. Enjoy these few chapters from Free and Heather! Make sure to check out our very corny Christmas Special!**


	28. Heather vs The Incredibly Pretty Girl!

"I'm staying at the Pokémon Center. What does it look like I'm doing?" Lauren snorted with laughter, walking past the four trainers. As she passed them, Free grabbed her arm, turning her towards him. She was wearing a black shirt with a big red "R" on it.

"Are you in Team Rocket?" Free asked, looking at her shirt.

"Yeah. Cool shirt, huh? Jada, one of our executives has a little problem with your friend," Lauren glared at Heather as she said this. "So I joined up with them, and they took me in. Now if you excuse me, I have to get going. I have a lot of business to take care of."

She pulled herself out of Free's grip and stormed out of the Pokémon Center.

"Well she didn't seem very nice," Clover stated, putting her hands on her hips.

"She's not…" Free sighed. "Let's just go to bed."

The next morning, rain was pouring from the sky. Free took one look out of the gigantic windows of the Pokémon Center and groaned.

"What is it?" Heather asked.

"I really wanted to train before the gym battle today…" Free muttered.

"Why don't you just take it now? If you lose, you lose. You'll have another chance," Deka suggested.

"Well… I guess so," Free replied. "Let's go then, the rain isn't going to be letting up anytime soon."

By the time the four arrived at the front doors of the gym, they were soaked. The first thing they saw when they opened the door was the girl from Ilex Forest with the pink hair dancing around with a Miltank. She immediately stopped when she saw them.

"Do I… know you?" The girl tilted her head at them.

"You're the girl who helped us out of the forest!" Deka replied.

"Oh! Yes, now I remember... and you're the boy I battled, that lost," she smirked. "You have a funny battling style."

"Yeah, yeah," Deka muttered.

"Well, can I help you with anything?" The girl asked them.

"We're looking to battle the gym leader. Is she in?" Free asked.

"Yeah, she's in," the girl shrugged.

"Well… are you going to tell us where she is then?" Heather asked a little rudely. It was clear that she was getting very impatient for her match.

"She's right here," the girl tilted her head, twirling a strand of hair and looking Deka up and down.

"Wait, are you the gym leader?" Deka finally guessed.

"Of course she is the gym leader, Deka," Free snapped. "My name is Free and this is Heather, Deka, and Clover. Myself and Heather would like to challenge you to a gym battle."

"So if the loser of our little battle is smarter than you two, this will be easy. I'm Whitney, the gym leader," Whitney turned to face Heather and Free and smiled smugly.

"I'd like to challenge you to a gym battle before my friend, then," Heather stated. Free made a face as if he wanted to go first. "Trust me… we're a lot smarter."

Deka frowned at her but before he could say anything to try to defend himself, he was interrupted.

"Well, all right then. I always love a battle, good or bad. Come this way," Whitney turned around and led them through some doors into a battlefield.

Whitney stopped to call in a referee and once he was there, she whispered some things into his ear. He nodded once and took his position, Whitney taking hers too. Heather stood on the challenger's side, clutching a Poké Ball in her bag nervously.

"This battle will be a one on one Pokémon battle between the challenger, Heather and the gym leader, Whitney. No time limit. Begin!" The referee announced.

"Go, Nidorina!" Whitney threw her Poké Ball.

"Let's go, Mareep!" Heather responded, throwing a ball from her bag.

"Baa!" Mareep growled.

Whitney grinned from across the field, "You see awhile back I had a challenger that made meat out of my Nidorina. I went into training with her in the forest and that's whenever we met your friend Deka. After the battle, Nidorina has gone unbeaten!"

"There does hit a point where everyone loses. I think that it is time for Nidorina to lose," Heather snapped back. She was getting tired of Whitney's attitude.

"You can say what you want. Since you are the challenger, you make the first move," Whitney told her with her same smile.

"Mareep, use thundershock!" Heather commanded. She took the opportunity that was given to her without any second thought. Sparks quickly shot from Mareep's fleece towards Nidorina. Before Nidorina or Whitney could react, the sparks hit Nidorina directly.

Whitney watched while Nidorina stood strong, the sparks shot from random parts of her body. Nidorina suddenly shot up and the sparks were destroyed completely.

"You see? Simple attacks like that won't knock down Nidorina," Whitney said while Nidorina popped its neck. "We're only just getting started! Nidorina, use your fury swipes!" Nidorina took off for Mareep, hacking and slashing away at Mareep. Mareep fell back quickly but stood up.

Heather took her opportunity, "Use discharge while you have Nidorina close!" Mareep released what remained of electric sparks from her fleece.

"Nidorina, dodge and use double kick!" Whitney shouted. Nidorina jumped to the left of the lightning bolts and kicked Mareep twice in the side. Nidorina instantly doubled over with electrical currents running through her body.

"Ha! Static works again!" Heather cheered. "Now, Mareep charge up all your energy!"

Sparks started flying from Mareep, bouncing across the field and hitting Nidorina. The lights started to flicker as if Mareep was taking their energy and then… Mareep started to glow. The glowing figure rose to two feet and the sparks grew more intense. The glowing stopped and Mareep had evolved into its next form. This new form stood on two legs and was pink instead of yellow.

Free grabbed into his pocket and pulled out his Pokédex. "Flaaffy, the Wool Pokémon. Electric-type. Flaaffy is the evolved form of Mareep. It builds up electricity in its thick coat of fur, but is unaffected by it thanks to its rubber like skin."

"That is awesome," Free mumbled. "I need myself a Flaaffy…"

"How lucky is that?" Whitney wondered aloud. "I guess you have to have some sort of skill…"

"You can do it, Flaaffy!" Clover encouraged. She jumped into the air repeatedly. Swablu flew around her head happily.

Deka frowned at them, "Stop with the cheerleading… please…"

"Baa!" Flaaffy cried, all the electrical power was burning up the field around her.

"You evolved at the right moment. Flaaffy, use your discharge!" Heather commanded.

"Baa!" Flaaffy replied, and released the large shockwave of energy she had built up. The power in the gym went out for a second, and no one saw what happened. A loud whirring sound was heard and the power came back on, along with the lights. Nidorina lay beaten behind Whitney, unable to move.

"Nidorina is unable to battle! Victory goes to the challenger, Heather!" The referee shouted, holding up a flag towards Heather.

"We did it!" She cheered, running over to Flaaffy and giving her a big hug, which shocked her a bit from the energy that flowed through Flaaffy's wool. "You were so awesome out there…"

Whitney walked over to Heather, holding a square shaped badge.

"That's some Flaaffy you've got there. She's definitely a little powerhouse and she obviously trusts you a lot. You deserve the Plain Badge," Whitney said. Heather took the badge and clipped it to the outside of her bag like her other two badges.

"Thank you! But if you don't mind… My friend Free wants to battle you too," Heather pointed to Free, who grinned and stepped forward.


	29. Free vs The Incredibly Pretty Girl!

"Don't worry, I have another Pokémon ready just for you," Whitney teased, stepping back to her battle platform.

"I'm ready for anything you've got," Free retorted, taking his place and grabbing a Poké Ball. The referee returned to his place as well.

"This battle will be a two on two Pokémon single battle between the challenger, Free and the gym leader, Whitney. Only the challenger may make substitutions. No time limit. Begin!" The referee shouted, holding up two flags.

"Miltank, you're turn!" She shouted. The pink cow she had been dancing with earlier when they had first walked into the gym skipped onto the battlefield.

"Mila!" She cried happily. Free grinned at her Pokémon choice and pulled out his Pokédex.

"Miltank, the Milk Cow Pokémon. Normal-type. Miltank gives over five gallons of milk on a daily basis. Its milk is packed with nutrition, making the ultimate beverage for the sick or weary.

"She's so cute!" Heather commented.

"Go, Wooper!" He shouted, throwing his Poké Ball.

"Woopa?" Wooper looked at his surroundings in a daze. His eyes glazed over as he stared at the ceiling.

"Why is he going with Wooper?" Clover asked.

Heather sighed, "He's trying to give as much training to his Pokémon as possible."

"Maybe, but not in a gym battle," Deka lectured.

"You shouldn't use a Pokémon if it is poorly trained. I really do hope that this isn't going to be your whole strategy," Whitney told Free. "I want an awesome battle!

Free shook his head, "I'll put faith into every single one of my Pokémon!" He gave a quick look at Wooper, whose eyes never left the ceiling. "Even… Wooper…"

"Miltank, use rollout!" Whitney commanded. Miltank immediately rolled into a ball and quickly flung herself towards Wooper whose eyes opened wide at the sight of the rolling, pink ball heading straight towards him.

"Wooper, get out of the way and use water gun!" Free commanded. Wooper turned to move, but tripped over his own tail, blasting water into the air. It didn't even faze Miltank who ran right over Wooper.

Wooper was indented into the ground and couldn't move. His eyes were closed, signaling that he was done.

"Wooper is unable to battle," the referee announced.

"Wooper, return," Free muttered. Wooper was absorbed into the Poké Ball and Free held it close. "Maybe next time…" He put back Wooper's Poké Ball and threw another into the air. "Go, Umbreon!"

The Poké Ball exploded open and Umbreon landed on the ground. "Bre…" Umbreon growled at Miltank who had stopped rolling.

"Okay, now this is a dumb move! You haven't even had time to train Umbreon yet!" Heather snapped. "You should've gone with Quilava or Chikorita!"

"How dumb do you get?" Deka asked Clover with a cocky smile.

Clover shook her head, "You can do it, Umbreon!"

"Miltank, use rollout!" Whitney shouted. Miltank once again rolled into a ball. She came up way faster to Umbreon than she had to Wooper.

"Umbreon, quick attack!" Free commanded. Umbreon barely dodged Miltank's attack. She crashed into a wall, but wasn't affected by the blow at all.

"Again, Miltank!" Whitney ordered.

"Mila mila!" Miltank smiled and rolled again.

"Umbreon, tackle attack now!" Free yelled. Umbreon lunged at the pink cow, but was flung across the field on impact.

"We can't attack while she's moving that fast…" Free muttered to himself. "But there's nothing else we can do…"

"Miltank, direction change!" Whitney shouted before Miltank hit another wall. Umbreon struggled to get up off the ground and braced himself for another rollout attack.

"Quick attack!" Free shouted again. But it was too late. Miltank had an abrupt speed change and was heading towards Umbreon faster than he could move. Miltank collided with Umbreon, sending him flying once more. Umbreon lay in a helpless heap on the ground.

"Umbreon on is unable to battle. Victory goes to the gym leader, Whitney!" The referee held up a flag to Whitney who cheered and began to dance with Miltank who didn't look the slightest bit hurt.

"Return, Umbreon. You tried your best," Free whispered.

Whitney smiled, "I'll gladly accept a rematch challenge if you train hard.

"He'll have to train hard if he's going to battle like that," Deka mumbled.

Heather approached Free and held out her hand to pat him on the back.

"No! Let's go, Chikorita!" Free yelled before running out the gym's doors with Chikorita following him. Heather, Deka, and Clover all chased after him. By the time they got outside it was still pouring, and Free and Chikorita were nowhere to be found.

"What should we do?" Heather cried. "He could've ran off anywhere!"

"He'll come back," Deka patted her shoulder. "But I never knew he was such a rusty trainer…"

"Deka!" Clover hit her brother.

"Ouch!" Deka rubbed his arm and glared at Clover. "We should probably get inside…"

Meanwhile, Free was running through the rain, towards the Pokémon Center. He ran inside and found Nurse Joy at the counter. She caught sight of how drenched he was, "Oh my! You're soaked!"

Free nodded and held out his Poké Balls, "Can you please heal up my Pokémon. I have something urgent that I have to do."

Nurse Joy quickly healed his Pokémon as he left a message to give to his friends if they came to the Pokémon Center looking for him. Once his Pokémon were healed, he ran back outside and out of town. He ran to the edge of Ilex Forest, looking for any Pokémon to train against.

Free stood at the edge heaving from the heavy running. "Bring it on! I challenge any Pokémon to battle me!" Almost immediately, a Pidgey appeared from the trees and flew towards him.

"Go, Umbreon!" he shouted while he threw his Poké Ball into the air. Umbreon emerged. He had a look on his face as though he was sleepy.

"Bre…" Umbreon sighed, ready for battle.

"Umbreon, quick attack!" Free commanded. One quick attack easily took down the Pidgey.

"We have to find stronger Pokémon to train against. All of us!" Free told Umbreon and Chikorita while throwing his different Poké Balls into the air. Each of his Pokémon circled around him before Free ran deeper into the forest. All of his Pokémon followed, ready to get stronger for their trainer.

**A/N So, Free suffers his first loss... Oh well! We'd like to say thanks to everyone who has been supporting us throughout this story (All two of you!) and that after Chapter 30 we will put a small stop to posting chapters for this story and instead start posting out 10 part "Movie" story. This is for the main writer of this story to get as ahead as possible (In all honest, we're currently at chapter 70 but we want to get as far ahead as possible so it is easier to keep posting). Please do give that a check out in two weeks if you would. **

**Much Love, JohtoBlue**


	30. A Rematch vs The Incredibly Pretty Girl!

"Heather! Deka, Clover! I'm back!" Free called into his friends' room at the Pokémon Center. He was still soaking wet, but the rain had cleared up. Free had decided to return when it got dark and he gave his Pokémon to Nurse Joy so they could rest up for his rematch with Whitney the next day.

"We were so worried about you!" Heather shouted, hugging Free. "I hope you don't get sick…"

"No, I feel great! I got some great training done, and I think I worked out a new strategy to beat Whitney and get the Plain Badge!" Free sat down on the nearest bed and started looking through his bag. "But, right now… I need some dry clothes."

"I have some spare clothes…" Deka said, holding out a shirt and a pair of pants to Free. "Here you go… Rust…"

"Thanks, I'll go change!" Free replied, jumping off the bed and heading to the bathroom. When he came back, everyone was already asleep, so Free laid down on his bed next to Chikorita and went to sleep.

The next morning was bright and sunny; not a cloud was in sight.

"This is a great day for a battle!" Heather told Free as they sat down to eat some breakfast at the Pokémon Center.

"It sure is a brighter day than yesterday," Clover said. "It must be a sign!"

"I don't believe in signs. I think that once a rusty trainer, always a rusty trainer," Deka said before sticking a piece of pancake into his mouth.

Free frowned at him, "I'm going to try my hardest to not let you bother me today."

Once they finished eating, Free sped out the door and his friends struggled to keep up. He ran through the Goldenrod Gym's doors, out of breath. Heather, Deka, and Clover hadn't been able to stay with him and entered a minute later. Free and Whitney were already on the battle field. Both were grinning.

"So, how does a three on three battle sound to you, Free?" Whitney asked. She pulled up a Poké Ball and sneered.

Free closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He grabbed his goggles and dropped it in front of his eyes, "That sounds awesome to me!"

"This battle will be a three on three Pokémon single battle between the challenger, Free Flarez from Cherrygrove City and the gym leader, Whitney. Only the challenger may switch out. No time limit. Begin!" The referee said. Free chose a Pokémon first.

"Go, Wooper!" Free yelled.

"Woopa?" Wooper came out of his ball with his face on the ground. He rolled around a little and pushed himself up with his tail.

Deka smacked his forehead, "Rust…"

"You're really using Wooper again?" Whitney laughed. "Go, Clefairy!" She elegantly threw a Poké Ball into the air and her Pokémon emerged.

"Clefairy!" The pink Pokémon cried, skipping around Wooper in a circle.

"Clefairy, huh?" Free said, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Clefairy, the Fairy Pokémon. Normal-type. Clefairy is the evolved-form of Cleffa. On every night of a full moon, they come out to play. When dawn arrives, the tired Clefairy go to sleep nestled up against each other in deep and quiet mountains. The moonlight that it stores in the wings on its back apparently gives it the ability to float in midair," it read in its robotic voice.

"Wooper, use water gun!" Free ordered, stuffing away his Pokédex. At first, Wooper did nothing. But then, he opened his mouth wide and shot a huge blast of water at Clefairy, hitting her in the chest. Clefairy was thrown back a few feet but instantly got up.

"Clefairy, metronome!" Whitney shouted. Clefairy began to chant and moved her arms back in forth. A jolt of electricity shot out a Wooper. Wooper winced when it hit him, but he was otherwise unaffected.

"Yeah! Way to go, Wooper!" Free cheered.

"Woopa! Woopa!" Wooper jumped up and down excitedly at his praise.

"How did that not do damage to Wooper?" Clover asked. Her eyes were wide with surprise.

Deka smiled, "I finally know something you don't! Wooper is part ground-type, nullifying all electric attacks."

"Now use tackle!" Free commanded. Wooper stopped cheering and charged at Clefairy. He tripped and did a somersault, ending in Wooper balancing himself on his head.

"Metronome!" Whitney shouted. This time, Clefairy began to glow… and then there was an explosion. When the smoke cleared, both Pokémon were laying on the ground.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle!" The referee announced.

"No! Return, Clefairy!" Whitney cried. She ran to Clefairy and picked it up, "You did your best… Go, Nidorina!" Whitney sobbed before another Poké Ball was into the air.

Free held out his Poké Ball and smiled, "Wooper, return. Quilava, it's your turn!" Free replied.

"Use double kick!" Whitney ordered. Nidorina jumped into the air and moved her legs in a kicking fashion.

Free grinned, "My turn! Quilava, use your rollout!"

"No way! He taught Quilava rollout," Heather said in surprise.

Quilava rolled into the ball and flung itself towards Nidorina. Nidorina's attack connected but was deflected and Nidorina flew into the air. Quilava now approached a wall at a rapid pace.

"Quilava turn! Just like we did in the forest," Free ordered. Quilava took an immediate turn away from the wall and kept going for the now falling Nidorina. As soon as Nidorina hit the ground, Quilava smacked into her and flung her back. Nidorina rolled on the ground and just lay there, unable to continue.

"What? Teaching them how to roll away from walls like that takes harsh training!" Whitney snapped.

Free smiled, "We used trees in the forest as our walls. Quilava also has a lot of practice with rolling."

The referee held up a flag, "Nidorina is unable to continue! Quilava is the winner."

Whitney sighed, "It looks like we'll still need some training." She then returned her Nidorina and grinned. "You know what's next! Let's go, Miltank!"

Miltank emerged from its Poké Ball and glared at Quilava, "Mila!"

"Watch out! Quilava knows rollout so this isn't going to be any easy battle!" Whitney warned. "We're going to start off with your own rollout!" Miltank jumped into the air before it began to roll at a rapid pace for Quilava.

"Fight back with your flame wheel!" Free ordered. Quilava was quickly engulfed in flames and was rolling towards the big pink ball.

Both Pokémon met in the middle of the field and Quilava was over powered. He was flung through the air but quickly landed on his feet.

"Keep rolling, Miltank!" Whitney commanded.

"Mila!" Miltank cried while rolling away from the wall and towards Quilava.

"Flamethrower!" Free ordered desperately.

As soon as Quilava had Miltank lined up, he released flames from his mouth. The flames completely engulfed Miltank but it continued rollout. Miltank connected and Quilava flew back into the air. He landed hard on the ground and refused to get back up.

"Quilava is unable to continue! Miltank wins this round," The referee announced. He held up a flag.

Free smiled, "You wore out Miltank. We needed you to do that." The red steady beam absorbed Quilava and Free had another ball ready. "C'mon out, Umbreon!"

Umbreon emerged from its Poké Ball and stretched out its body.

"Mila!" Miltank growled.

"Bre…" Umbreon pawed at the ground and growled back at Miltank.

"Miltank, rollout!" Whitney ordered. As though Miltank knew what was coming, it took off before Whitney could finish her order.

"Oh no you don't! Umbreon, use pursuit!" Free shouted. Miltank's attack hit Umbreon, but Umbreon landed on his feet and charged at Miltank who had unrolled from her ball to change directions. Umbreon hit Miltank and sent her flying back this time. Miltank smashed into the wall and was struggling to roll over from off of her back.

Whitney's expression changed from confident to frightened, "You have to get up!"

"Umbreon, dark pulse!" Free commanded. Umbreon looked up to the ceiling with his eyes closed, then let a burst of dark energy encircle him. The ball of energy then flattened itself out in a round ring, engulfing Miltank. Miltank lay on the ground helplessly.

"Miltank is unable to battle! Victory goes to the challenger, Free!" The referee shouted.

"He really did it?" Deka said. His jaw was dropped. "I'm still going to call him Rust…"

Free ran over to Umbreon and gave him a hug. "We did it, Umbreon!" Free said. By the way Umbreon's face looked, you couldn't tell if he was enjoying the hug or not. Chikorita ran over to congratulate Free too. Finally, Whitney walked over and handed the Plain Badge to Free.

"I didn't think you were going to beat me," she sighed. "But… you deserve this badge."

"Thanks!" Free said before turning to his friends. "So… what city is next, Heather?"

**A/N So, I do want to remind you that for awhile we will not be posting this chapter. This is so our main writer of this story can get ahead on her writing a little bit more (currently at chapter 70) and so we can also post our first ever "movie" story. If you aren't like subscribed to our channel then that would be wise to do so because this is not a story to miss out on. Also a huge thanks to pokestets23 and wisdom-jewel for supporting us. Any other support is greatly appreciated. Be lookin' out for the "movie" story!**

**Something with the word "love" in it, Johto Blue**


	31. Oh, bugs!

**Season Two**

"Hey… what's with that big crowd up there?" Clover asked, walking ahead of Deka, Heather, and Free. She was pointing off into the distance where a huge open dome awaited with a small rectangular building attached to the front.

"I think they're waiting in line for something…" Free observed the people walking into the building. "We should go find out what's going on!"

The four trainers ran until they got into the line.

"Excuse me… but… why is everyone waiting in line?" Heather asked a younger boy who was holding a butterfly net.

"Don't ya know? It's the bug catching contest!" He exclaimed.

"The bug catching contest?" Free asked, a grin spreading across his face. Clover backed up a little.

"Yeah! The trainer who catches the strongest bug Pokémon wins!" The boy replied.

"Could we enter?" Deka asked thoughtfully. He was thinking of all the great Pokémon he could catch to scare Clover, who hated bugs.

"Of course! It's open to everyone," he said. Deka and Free looked at each other and nodded.

"We're going to enter," they told Heather and Clover.

"I don't like Spinarak or Ariados… so I don't think I'll enter…" Heather laughed nervously. "And Clover doesn't like bugs apparently."

Eventually the four trainers got through the line and Free and Deka registered with the judges. They were then given 30 special Poké Balls and they each chose one Pokémon to help them: Chikorita and Ivysaur. Clover and Heather took seats in the stands to watch.

In the middle of the open dome was a giant forest they expected to be full of bug Pokémon. Deka and Free stood next to each other, waiting for the judges to tell them to begin. Once the words "go!" were shouted, they took off in separate directions.

Deka ran to a field full of flowers with a few trees sticking out here and there. "Come on, Ivysaur! Let's see what we can find!"

"Ivy! Ivysaur…" Ivysaur replied. He began sniffing the ground and one of the nearby trees. A sudden red Pokémon with black dots on its back came from the flows and gave Ivysaur a hard uppercut. Ivysaur flew back but landed on his feet.

"Ivysaur!" Deka cried out, surprised by the attack from the unexpected visitor. "Looks like that is a Ledian! We have to fight back. Use your vine whip!" Ivysaur maneuvered his body and a vine snapped from the side of his bulb. It grabbed ahold of Ledian and threw it at the ground.

"Ledi!" It cried out angrily. It stood back up and began to glide in the air. It darted for Ivysaur one more time, fists swinging.

"That's comet punch! Counter with your Razor Leaf!" Deka ordered. Sharp leaves flew out from Ivysaur's sides, clashing with Ledian, knocking it out.

Deka took his opportunity. "Go, Park Pall!" He threw one of the Park Balls that was given to him during registration. It connected with Ledian and absorbed it. The ball rocked for a bit before letting out its signature ding. The Ledian was caught.

"Ivysaur!" Deka's Pokémon cheered. Deka picked up the ball and scanned it with the device that the director gave him.

"It looks like this Ledian isn't too strong. I'll need to capture a stronger Pokémon if I want to win," He noted. "Let's keep going!"

Free was having similar luck. "Looks like this Combee isn't going to cut it. I should release it then find another Pokémon." He looked around and noticed all of the other trainers capturing Pokémon. "Chikorita, see if you can find anything."

"Chika!" Chikorita cried out enthusiastically before running around in some tall grass. Suddenly a Pokémon rolled from the grass and locked eyes with Chikorita.

"Whirlipede!" It warned, angrily.

Free grabbed his Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon. "Whirlipede, the Curlipede Pokémon. Dual bug and poison-types. Protected by a hard shell, it spins its body like a wheel and crashes furiously into its enemies.

The Pokémon made a quick movement and began to roll towards Chikorita.

"Use your tackle attack!" Free commanded quickly. Chikorita charged for Whirlipede but the bug-type was too strong. Chikorita was knocked back.

Free grabbed for his belt. "I can always use Quilava!" He felt no Poké Balls. "Wait… I had to leave him with Heather!"

Whirlipede kept rolling towards Free.

"Chika!" Chikorita screeched. It released vines that quickly grabbed a hold of Whirlipede and threw it into a nearby tree. Whirlipede stopped moving, indicating that the battle was over.

"Let's go, Park Ball!" The ball connected with Whirlipede and absorbed it. Whirlipede was captured. Free looked at the Park Ball and scanned it. "Looks like a strong one, but we have to keep going."

Ivysaur ran around near a tree and looked up it. "Ivy-Ivysaur!"

"Is there something up there?" Deka asked. Ivysaur nodded and rammed his head into the tree trunk. An angry Beedrill swooped down suddenly and Ivysaur, knocking him off his feet.

"Ivysaur, use razor leaf!" Deka quickly told his Pokémon. Ivysaur flipped back over and sent scattered razor sharp leaves into Beedrill's wings, disabling him from flying.

"Now that you can't fly, I'm going to capture you!" Deka yelled at Beedrill, who buzzed back angrily. He threw one of his special park balls at Beedrill, who knocked it away with one of its stingers on its arms.

"Well… I'll just have to weaken you more! Ivysaur, stun spore!" Deka shouted. Ivysaur shot out yellow powder from the flower on his back, scattering across Beedrill, who fell over paralyzed.

"Now… Poké Ball… GO!" Deka shouted, throwing another ball at Beedrill. This time, Beedrill was unable to knock it away. The ball rocked six times before Beedrill gave in and the ball let out a soft ding. Deka picked up the ball with a smile on his face.

Meanwhile, Free was walking along a small dirt path that led deeper into the forest and soon he came to a very large tree.

"I wonder if there's any Pokémon in there…" he muttered. "Chikorita, use vine whip to shake the branches!"

"Chika!" Chikorita replied, grabbing a hold of a large branch and shaking it violently. After a few seconds, a large blue beetle fell from the tree.

"Heracross!" It shouted, angry to be disturbed.

Free scanned it with his Pokédex.

"Heracross, the Single Horn Pokémon. Dual bug and fighting-types. Heracross charges in a straight line at its foe, slips beneath the foe's grasp, and then scoops up and hurls the opponent with its mighty horn. This Pokémon even has enough power to topple a massive tree," the Pokédex read.

"Hurry, Chikorita! Use vine whip to throw it at the tree!" Free ordered. Chikorita unwrapped her vines from the branch and rewrapped them around Heracross' body tightly. She picked him up and threw him hard at the tree.

"Hera, Heracross!" Heracross screeched when he hit the tree. Chikorita winced at the noise. Heracross fluttered his wings out from underneath his outer shell and flew at Chikorita. He swiped his horn at Chikorita, barely missing her.

"Watch out Chikorita, that was aerial ace!" Free shouted. "Try tackling it!"

Chikorita charged at Heracross who had just landed and was turning around. Heracross was thrown backwards when Chikorita's body slammed into his.

"It's time! Poké Ball, go!" Free shouted, throwing the park ball. It connected with Heracross, who struggled to escape. The ball rocked back in forth but Heracross couldn't get out. When the ball stopped moving, Free went to pick it up.

"I caught you!" He screamed, just as an announcement was made that the contest was over.

All the trainers placed there Poké Balls in a crate that was emptied into a machine. The machine analyzed each Pokémon's power and then showed the winning Pokémon and trainer− Free and his Heracross!

"I won!" Free shouted happily, as Chikorita dance around him.

"As first prize, you get a kings rock and each contestant gets to keep the Pokémon you caught!" The judge announced, handing Free a crown shaped rock. He put it in his bag along with his new Pokémon's Poké Ball and walked over to Deka who was sulking.

"I thought I had caught a great Beedrill…" Deka mumbled.

Free patted him on the back. "I'm sure it's great. It's just not as good as my Heracross!"

**A/N We're back with this story, baby! Should be updating weekly now! That's all.**

**Q1) Who is your favorite character in our stories?**

**Q2) Who is your favorite Pokemon in our story?**

**Q3) Who is your favorite Pokemon ever?**


	32. The GhostType Leader

After the bug catching contest ended, the four trainers had just enough daylight to make it to Ecruteak City.

"So, where does your map say the gym is?" Free asked Heather as she opened up her PokéGear.

"The gym's not going to be open at night, silly," Heather laughed, looking for a Pokémon Center on the screen instead.

"Uh huh! Morty is a ghost-type gym leader! He's sure to have his gym open at night!" Free smirked. "If not ONLY at night."

"Well… it's not far from the Pokémon Center. I guess we could go check," Heather replied.

"But I'm so tired!" Clover whined. Swablu flapped her wings angrily at Clover's protests.

"Just a little longer, sis," Deka yawned. "If they get their gym battles done tonight, we can stay in town and check out all the historical landmarks in Ecruteak tomorrow!"

Clover was silent the rest of the way to the gym. As Free had predicted, it was open. They pushed open the heavy oak doors to find eerie purple candles flickering throughout a large room, lighting up a whole battlefield.

"Hello…?" Free called into the emptiness.

"Are you a challenger?" A man asked, his voice echoing off the dim walls.

"Two challengers. Free from Cherrygrove and Heather from Newbark Town," Free replied. His voice echoed too, but not as loud as the man's voice. After a few seconds, a dark figure stepped down from some steps at the back of the gym.

"Welcome to Ecruteak City's gym. I am Morty, the gym leader," the dark shadow said. As it passed a few candles, it lit up the shadow revealing a tall man in a black shirt and white pants with medium-length spiked, blonde hair. "Which one of you is challenging me first?"

Free automatically stepped up since Heather had gotten the first battle at the last gym.

"So you're Free?" He nodded to a referee who took his place at the side of the battlefield. The referee stepped into place, ready for his duties.

"This battle will be a one on one Pokémon single battle. No time limit. Begin!" The referee shouted.

"Haunter," Morty swiftly threw a Poké Ball. The purple ghost teleported around a few times.

"Haunter…" the Pokémon whispered.

Free pulled out his Pokédex before making his Pokémon choice. "Haunter, the Gas Pokémon. Dual ghost and poison-type. Haunter is a dangerous Pokémon. If one beckons you while floating in darkness, you must never approach it. This Pokémon will try to lick you with its tongue and steal your life away."

"This will be easy! Dark Pokémon are good against ghosts! Go, Umbreon!" Free shouted, throwing Umbreon's Poké Ball.

"Bre…" Umbreon growled. He stretched out his body as though he just woke up from a nap.

"Haunter, use toxic!" Morty ordered. Haunter opened his mouth wide and shot purple goo out at Umbreon.

"Umbreon, agility!" Free shouted quickly. Umbreon dodged the attack easily, ending up behind Haunter. "Shadow ball!" Free ordered. Umbreon jumped into the air and shot a dark ball with an odd aura inside of it.

"Get out of the way!" Morty yelled out. Haunter, with a swift move, dodged the attack and glared at Umbreon.

"You have a really awesome Pokémon, Morty," Free complimented.

Morty grinned. "I have to say that your Umbreon is pretty good, too."

"Let's do this!" Free said while pointing towards the battlefield. Umbreon darted towards Haunter.

"Try energy ball!" Morty yelled. Haunter charged up a ball of green energy and shot it at Umbreon at close range before he had a chance to move again. Umbreon skidded back a couple of feet.

"Umbreon, faint attack!" Free commanded. Umbreon suddenly faded, and then reappeared right in front of Haunter, knocking the ghost Pokémon backwards.

"Now use dark pulse, Umbreon!" Free quickly made another attack. Umbreon gathered the dark energy, causing the strange purple candles to flicker out and relight themselves. Umbreon released the ball of darkness into the same ring that had defeated Whitney's Miltank. Haunter couldn't fight any longer.

"Haunter is unable to battle. Victory goes to Free from Cherrygrove!" The referee held a flag up to Free.

"That was a quick victory. It looks like I'll have to get stronger," Morty murmured.

"Yeah! We did it again, Umbreon!" Free exclaimed. As Morty began to walk over to him. "You deserve a rest, return!"

"Here you go, Free. This is the Fog Badge. You definitely won it!" Morty chuckled. "But you said your friend wants a battle too, right? Well, I saved a Pokémon for her."

"Yes, I would like to battle you," Heather replied, stepping forward and grabbing Totodile's Poké Ball off of her necklace. Morty jogged back to his platform and the referee got prepared once more.

"This battle will be a one on one Pokémon single battle. No time limit. Begin!" He announced again.

"Go, Toto−"

"Grimer!" A bright white beam came from Heather's bag before she could throw Totodile's Poké Ball. Grimer appeared in front of her on the field.

"Hm, I certainly didn't expect that," Morty laughed. "But what's done is done. Go, Gengar!"

"Gengar!" Another purple ghost popped out of Morty's Poké Ball, but bigger. It grinned evilly at Heather's Grimer.

"Gengar, use shadow ball!" Morty cried. Shadows from all over the room caused from the purple candles seem to gather all in front of Gengar, collecting into a ball. He flung it harshly at Grimer.

"Um, Grimer! Use…" But Heather didn't know any of Grimer's attacks. The ball smashed into Grimer, and he fell into himself. Heather watched in distress. "No…"

"Grimer is unable to battle! Victory goes to Morty!" The referee called.

Free ran his hands through his hair. "That's not cool. Grimer didn't even try to fight back…"

"Return, Grimer…" Heather muttered.

"Ha! Grimer lost!" Deka laughed loudly at Heather's failure.

"Hey, Grimer was just a baby…" Clover said, patting Heather on the back. "And you didn't know he was just going to pop out like that.

"You're welcome to have a rematch tomorrow night, if you like," Morty called from across the gym. "I'll let you use two Pokémon. It'll be a double battle. Haunter and Gengar versus two of your Pokémon."

"I'll be here," Heather replied before running out into the darkness. She was determined beat Morty the next time.


	33. Rematch with New Friends

"Totodile, come on out," Heather held Totodile's Poké Ball out away from her body and let the small blue water Pokémon out of his ball.

"Toto?" Totodile asked, wondering what was going on.

"I need you to help me find a Pokémon to beat Morty with," Heather replied, scratching him on the head. Totodile smiled widely and motioned for her to follow him into the forest behind an old building. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Totodile crouched down and started sniffing the forest floor.

"What is it?" Heather whispered. Totodile place one of his small claws up to his mouth as if telling her to be quiet. He then pushed some bushes out of the way and pointed into a small clearing where a Misdreavus and Girafarig were playfully chasing each other around in a circle.

"Totodile, they're friends! I can't take one of them away from each other!" Heather whispered fiercely. Totodile bowed his head and let go of the branch holding back the bush. Once he had, the Girafarig and Misdreavus immediately stopped chasing each other and stared at Heather. They didn't attack or move other than Girafarig's tale snapping at the surrounding air and Misdreavus's body slowly bobbing in the night's breeze.

"Um, hello," Heather said to them. Misdreavus swooped over to her, landing on her shoulder and planting a kiss on her cheek, causing a chill to run down her spine. Girafarig walked over and looked deep into Heather's eyes.

"I'm sorry to have interrupted your play time, but I have to get back to my friends too, now," Heather slowly patted Girafarig on the head. He nuzzled his snout into her palm before she slowly turned around and left them. Heather and Totodile slowly made their way back to Ecruteak, suddenly feeling very tired, and occasionally they thought they heard a stick breaking behind them, frightening them into running faster out of the dark forest.

Eventually, they were able to see moonlight shining on the old building they had originally gone into the forest behind. They made their way to the Pokémon Center and found the room where their friends were sleeping. Heather took the open bed and Totodile snuggled down next to her.

"I guess I can just use you and Jolteon or Flaaffy tomorrow night…" Heather muttered as she drifted off to sleep.

The next day, the four trainers rested up, playing games with their Pokémon while Heather waited for the sun to set since her gym battle was to be at night. When the sun finally did set, all four set out to support Heather in her battle. But, Heather had a surprise waiting for outside the Morty's gym doors.

"Bree, bree!" Girafarig ran up to Heather, shoving his nose into his face and licking her cheek.

"Why is that Girafarig licking you?" Deka asked, tilting his head to one side.

"I met him last night… I thought I heard something following me back through the forest," Heather petted Girafarig's head softly. Suddenly, Free screamed. Deka, Heather, and Clover, who had all been paying attention to Girafarig quickly turned around to see Misdreavus pulling him off the ground.

"Put me down, put me down!" Free screamed. Heather laughed a little before she cleared her throat to speak.

"Misdreavus, please put him down," Heather smiled politely. Misdreavus nodded and set him gently back on the ground. Free shivered and picked up Chikorita, holding her close to his chest, and pulled out his Pokédex. He had already seen the Pokédex data for Misdreavus, but not Girafarig.

"Girafarig, the Long Neck Pokémon. Dual normal and psychic-type. Girafarig is an herbivore—it eats grass and tree shoots. While it is eating, its tail makes chewing and swallowing motions as if it were also eating."

"Why are you guys here?" Heather asked the two Pokémon once they were standing back next to each other. Girafarig's eyes glowed a bluish-white for a second and Heather saw a flash of her, Misdreavus, and Girafarig all battling together. She nodded, understanding the vision. "You want to battle with me!"

"Misdreavus, Mis," Misdreavus replied, fading through the gym doors. Heather opened one and let Girafarig in and the rest of her friends.

"Hello, Heather from Newbark!" Morty called from the back of the gym. He stepped forward into his battling spot.

"I'm ready for my rematch!" Heather yelled back to him. Girafarig and Misdreavus went onto the battlefield in front of her.

"A Misdreavus, eh? You're using my own specialty, ghost-types, against me?"

"And a Girafarig!" Heather replied. "I'm ready for my rematch now!"

"All right," Morty nodded to the referee.

"This battle will be a two on two Pokémon double battle. No time limit. Begin!" The referee announced.

"Haunter, Gengar! You can beat them!" Morty shouted, throwing two Poké Balls.

"Haunter…"

"Gen…gar…"

"Gengar, Haunter, use a double shadow ball!" Morty commanded.

"Dodge!" Heather shouted quickly. Girafarig dived to the left and Misdreavus dived to the right.

"If they can use shadow ball, so can you!" Heather yelled. Girafarig's horns gathered shadow between them while Misdreavus gathered the energy in front of her. They shot them at the exact same time at Gengar and Haunter. They both faded into their surroundings at the same time, avoiding the attack.

"Very good," Morty chuckled. "See if you can handle this! Gengar, Haunter, shadow claw!"

Haunter and Gengar disappeared momentarily, then Haunter reappeared behind Girafarig and Gengar in front of, claws bared, full of shadowy energy.

"Girafarig, crunch!" Heather shouted. Both Girafarig's head and the other on his tale opened their mouths wide and bit down on the ghost Pokémon.

"Now, while Girafarig has a hold on them… Misdreavus, use shadow ball!" Heather ordered. Misdreavus charged up the shadowy energy once more into a ball and shot it at the two ghost Pokémon, not affecting Girafarig at all. The force from shadow ball shot Haunter and Gengar out of Girafarig's mouths, causing them to fly back into Morty, knocking him over as well.

"Haunter, Gengar… and Morty," the referee laughed a bit, "are all unable to battle! Victory goes to Heather!"

Morty pushed his Pokémon off of him and made his way over to Heather. "That was some strategy you put together overnight. Did you catch both of these just yesterday?"

"Actually… they're not even mine. They volunteered to help me…" Heather smiled shyly as Girafarig rested his head on her shoulder and Misdreavus hovered over her other shoulder.

"You should take them with you… and this Fog Badge," Morty smiled. "I can see those Pokémon really like you and you deserve them and the badge!"

"Would you guys like you come with me?" Heather asked the normal/psychic and the ghost-types. They looked at each other for a minute before nodding and smiling back at her.

"Well, I just got two great new Pokémon!" Heather shouted, hugging them both.


	34. The LateNight Journey

After Heather's late-night gym battle, the four trainers were extremely exhausted. The trainers went back to the Pokémon Center and got their room checked out. Each took turns using the bathroom to get changed into their sleeping wear.

Deka wore light green pajamas pants with a button up green sleeping shirt. To top it off, he had a bright pink night cap.

Clover had on a fluffy blue night gown that fell to her knees that very much matched her Swablu.

Free took off his goggles and let all of his hair fall down. He wore a black muscle shirt and black pajama shorts with blue rings on them resembling Umbreon's rings.

Heather wore an oversized t-shirt depicted with a Gengar's face and matching purple pajama pants.

"Let's just call it a night," Deka yawned before stretching out on his Pokémon Center bed. He seemed to immediately fall asleep, snoring louder than any ten-year-old should.

"I'm already asleep…" Clover muttered, cuddling Swablu against her body.

Free shook his head, laughing softly at Clover before resting on his own bed next to Heather, who was staring at the ceiling. Totodile was curled up into a ball and resting on her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Free asked. Heather blinked, and then turned towards him.

"Shh…" she whispered. "Can you hear that?"

Free went silent and listened. At first, all he could hear was Clover and Deka's soft breathing. Then he heard a soft chanting.

"Unnnnownnnn… Unnnnownnnn…" Several high voices chanted.

"It sounds like the Unown!" Free muttered to Heather.

"But they couldn't be here in the Pokémon Center, could they?" She replied, gently picking up Totodile and placing him on Free's bed by Chikorita. They sleepily moved together so Totodile's nose was touching Chikorita's.

"Let's find out," Free whispered. Heather grabbed Misdreavus's Poké Ball and Free grabbed Umbreon's before they silently snuck out the door.

Free and Heather's footsteps were almost inaudible as they listened carefully for the Unown. The Pokémon Center's main lobby lights were out, and they soundlessly stepped out the front door. The voices seemed like they were leading them to somewhere. Heather and Free wordlessly followed the chanting voices to a tower that was half burned down.

The entrance to the tower was a giant open arch, with pictures of the Unown elaborately carved into the wood. There didn't seem to be any guards for the building at all, but the two still stepped into the ruins cautiously. The floor wasn't guaranteed to be stable in such an old, burnt building.

"I think the sound is coming from down there!" Free said, pointing to the floor. "Let's find a staircase!"

Free took off running and Heather immediately gasped. "Free! Be careful! The floor could give−"

Before Heather could finish her sentence, wood splintered and Free fell down through the floor. He coughed a few times as wood chips, ash, and dust swirled around him. Once it settled, he stood up and looked at the hole he had fallen through. Heather was peering down from the floor above.

"Are you okay!" She called down.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little dusty," he replied. "I'm going to look for a staircase to get back up."

"I'll wait here!" Heather yelled back. Free nodded and pulled out Umbreon's Poké Ball.

"Come on out," he said into the darkness.

"Bre…" Umbreon replied. The blue rings on his body glowed in the dark, allowing Free to see his surroundings. He was in an almost-empty square room, except for a statue of a Pokémon that he couldn't quite decide if it looked more like a cat or a dog.

"Do you see a way out?" Free asked Umbreon, who shook his head "no."

"That's what I thought…" Free's voice trailed off as he spotted a small tunnel leading out of the room. "Let's go through there!"

As Free walked down the tunnel, he started to see a faint blue glow in a different shade than the blue glow Umbreon was giving off. When he reached the end, he came to a room about the size of the one he had come from except it had a small fountain in it and the Pokémon he had seen a statue of was giving off the blue glow.

"Cune…" The blue-glowing Pokémon growled. There were Unown swirling around the beast-like Pokémon as well, and they were still chanting their names. The blue Pokémon slowly stood up and its eyes locked on Free's, mesmerizing him.

"Suicune…" the blue Pokémon purred.

"Suicune…" Free repeated, reaching out his hand. When he touched Suicune's nose, the Unown changed formation and swirled around Free. A bright, white light filled the room.

Seconds later, Free and Umbreon found themselves walking up a staircase Free didn't remember finding and reuniting with his friends.

"Wow, you're dirty. Did you find the Unown? They stopped chanting awhile ago," Heather said, brushing some dirt off of Free.

"I don't… remember," Free scratched his head and yawned. "But… I need sleep. And a shower."

Heather nodded, not bothering to ask Free questions because she was just as tired, and they both started walking towards the Pokémon Center in silence. When they were made it back to their room, Heather finally whispered a question. "What do you mean you don't remember?"

"I think I blacked out down there. But… I remember a blue glow. It was pretty… I want to find it," Free shrugged.

Heather didn't hear him; she had already fallen asleep. Free couldn't sleep, though. He was thinking too much about the pretty blue light. When he finally did fall asleep, he dreamed of a blue Pokémon called Suicune

**A/N Definitely one of the shortest chapters, but we wanted to go a different direction with this one. We hope to be updating regularly in a little bit. If you did notice though, we updated Spade's Story, Azul's Story, AND this story! That's sexy!**

**Q1) What is your dream battle to watch on the Anime?**

**Q2) If you had to be a Frontier Brain or Gym Leader? Which one and why?**

**Q3) If you were one of the Elite Four, which position would you want to be in? What region?**

**Much Love, JohtoBlue**


	35. My Moo Moo Milk!

The next day was warm and sunny for a Johto winter, so the four friends decided to get an early start on their path to Olivine City.

"Hey guys, there is a Miltank farm not far from here…" Heather said, looking at her PokéGear.

"Could we get some Moo Moo milk?" Clover asked her brother.

"You can, Clover," Deka replied, holding his stomach. "I can't have milk. I'm lactose intolerant. But I'd love to see the Miltank. I bet they're so cute!"

Heather looked at Deka funny. His voice had risen in pitch as he said "so cute."

"Heather, we haven't had any since we left your house on our first day!" Free added, nudging his friend with his elbow and drawing her attention back to him. "I made French toast that morning."

"It was delicious!" Heather giggled.

The conversation continued until they reached a sign that pointed up to a hill that read: "Moo Moo farm− just over the hill!"

All four trainers were extremely excited and ran the rest of the way up and over the hill until a huge red barn and a small white house appeared. There was a sign on the front door of the little house that told visitors to ring the doorbell before entering the store. Deka, of course, pushed it. Then they waited.

"Maybe they're not home," Clover said after a minute or two of waiting. As soon as she said this, there was a large clanging noise followed by loud mooing and some screaming coming from inside the barn.

"It's stealin' our milk again Bonnie!"

"Well, catch it, Harold!"

The four trainers had turned to see what was going on, and soon they saw a small bear Pokémon running down the hill, carrying a huge crate of bottled milk. A small blonde woman came running out of the barn after them, followed by a big, bald man with a black, bushy mustache. Free pulled out his Pokédex and pointed it at the small, brown Pokémon.

"Teddiursa, the Little Bear Pokémon. Normal-type. Before food becomes scarce in wintertime, its habit is to hoard food in many hidden locations. If it finds honey, its crescent mark glows. It lets honey soak into its paws so it can lick them all the time. Every set of paws tastes unique," Free's Pokédex read in its monotone voice.

The blonde woman turned to look at the trainers who were still standing on their front porch, watching the scene.

"I do apologize for this inconvenience! A Teddiursa has been stealin' all our Moo Moo milk!" Bonnie shouted towards them, while walking up to them. "Are you four Pokémon trainers?"

"Yep, all four of us!" Clover answered proudly.

"Well, if you were to help us catch that Teddiursa, my husband and I would give you some free bottles of milk for your travels!" Bonnie offered.

"I'll catch the Teddiursa!" Free volunteered immediately. He really wanted the delicious Moo Moo milk. Free ran down the hill towards the bald man who was still chasing the Teddiursa. He could run much faster than him and soon passed him and spotted the Teddiursa running towards the forest.

"Come back here!" Free yelled at the Pokémon. The little brown bear turned around at the edge of the trees.

"Urrr…?" The Teddiursa set the crate down and stuck a paw in her mouth, tilting her head to the side. Free stopped in his tracks.

"Aww… how could anything as cute as you steal anything?" Free asked, stooping down to pet it. Teddiursa bit his hand. "OW! That hurt! Go, Wooper!"

Free tossed a Poké Ball with his uninjured hand and Wooper popped out.

"Woopa?" Wooper tilted his head at Teddiursa who had stuck her paw back in her mouth. She tilted her head back, before charging.

Right before Teddiursa's claws collided with Wooper's face, he took a step to the side, stumbling over his own feet and out of the way of Teddiursa's attack.

"Good job, Wooper!" Free yelled, not realizing this was an accident.

"Woopa!" Wooper smiled, hearing that he was being praised. Teddiursa went for another scratch attack.

* * *

><p>"So, how do you think Free plans to capture that Teddiursa?" Deka asked Clover.<p>

"He'll probably use one his awesome Pokémon like Quilava or Umbreon to capture it! Then he'd bring it in with a rope or something," Clover suggested. "Oh, I really hope he doesn't hurt it. Teddiursa are so cute!"

"I don't think that rope is really Free's style," Heather sighed.

"Maybe then using Chikorita's vine whip?" Deka said in a questioning tone.

Heather nodded. "That sounds more like Free."

"I want Moo Moo Milk…" Clover mumbled.

"These kids are kind of weird," Bonnie whispered to Harold.

* * *

><p>"Wooper, water gun!" Free ordered. Wooper blasted a strong jet of water out of his mouth, missing Teddiursa, but hitting a nearby tree. The jet of water sent Wooper flying backwards, dodging Teddiursa's attack again.<p>

"Not what I was exactly wanting, but good job anyways, Wooper!" Free said. "Now try mud-slap!"

Wooper tried kick up some mud in the forest, but the effort was futile. Teddiursa smiled devilishly and charged at Wooper, who had finally kicked hard enough to send up a huge wave of mud into Teddiursa's face. Teddiursa fell to the ground, trying to wipe the mud off. Free took this as his chance.

"Poké Ball, go!" He yelled, throwing a Poké Ball at the Pokémon. The ball hit Teddiursa right in the face and pulled her in with a red beam.

Wooper leaned over the ball as it rocked back and forth with a bemused expression on his face. After seven rocks, the ball let out a soft ding. Free smiled, grabbed the Poké Ball, returned Wooper, and grabbed the crate of milk.

Once he got back to the farm he handed Bonnie the crate of milk.

"Oh, thank you!" She exclaimed, wrapping him in her arms. "It's too bad you couldn't get Teddiursa…"

"Actually, I caught her!" Free grinned, pulling out the ball.

"You thought he'd use a rope," Deka taunted his sister.

"Oh! I'm so glad! Now no one will steal our Moo Moo milk!" Bonnie replied. "Here, take these four bottles as a reward. If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to come for a visit!"

"We get to drink our Moo Moo Milk now!" Clover said happily. "I call Deka's bottle!"

Heather grinned. "We get free milk and Free caught himself a Pokémon!"

"Thanks, but we have to be off," Free replied, taking the crate. He turned to his friends and handed them each a bottle. "Let's get back on the road to Olivine!"

**A/N Hey, guys! Free caught a Teddiursa! We also got another gym battle coming up in a little bit! So, be looking out for that! In the next chapter, expect an appearance from a ...very annoying.. girl. Also, Clover will be getting a new Pokemon soon. Also, also, we updated our profile with some bios of a few of our characters. Got a lot more to do though!**

**Much gushy love, JohtoBlue**


	36. Not Her Again!

"Hey, guys! Wake up!" Clover shouted. It was late morning and Free, Heather, and Deka were still asleep. "We're not gonna make it to Olivine before dark if you keep sleeping!"

"Uhhh…" Heather groaned, struggling to get out of her sleeping bag. Free started to get up, gently nudging Chikorita awake, and Deka began to rise as well.

"Why are you so loud?" Free asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

"To wake you up! You guys are so _LAZY_!" Clover complained loudly. Espeon pawed at her ears from the noise and Swablu fluttered her wings angrily.

"Fine, we're up!" Deka shouted.

The four trainers packed their stuff up, returned their Pokémon, and set back off on the path to Olivine. After awhile, the trainers became wary and stopped to take a break at a small lake a little ways off the road. They took a seat on a large, mossy rock at the water's edge to rest. The sound of water lapping at the lake shore was immensely relaxing.

"Hey, are you guys Pokémon trainers?" A familiar, annoying voice asked from behind them. They turned around at the same time and saw Rachael, the trainer they had met way back in Azalea. Recognition dawned on her face. "Hey, I know you guys!"

Rachael ran over to give them all hugs. They reluctantly hugged back, but just so she wouldn't force it upon them.

"Do you want to have a Pokémon battle? I was looking for someone to battle, and I'm just so lucky that I found you guys!" Rachael asked, grabbing a ball off of her belt.

"How long do you have?" Deka asked.

"Well, if I battle one of you, I have to go right after−"

"I'll battle you!" Heather volunteered. The other three silently sighed in relief.

"She's taking one for the team, guys," Free sighed quietly to the others.

"Alright! Go, Whismur!" Rachael shouted.

"Whismur, Whis!" The Pokémon cried in a terribly high-pitched voice. It was a light pink color with curved ears and almost addition signs for eyes. It looked petrified, but that could just be its expression for everything. Free pulled out his Pokédex at the sight of a new Pokémon, as usual.

"Whismur, the Whisper Pokémon," Free's Pokédex read.

"Tauros-poop!" Deka shouted over the Pokédex. "That thing does not whisper!"

"Shh… I can't hear my Pokédex," Free mumbled, placing the speaker next to his ear.

"Normally, Whismur's voice is very quiet - it is barely audible even if one is paying close attention. However, if this Pokémon senses danger, it starts crying at an earsplitting volume. If it starts to cry loudly, it becomes startled by its own crying and cries even harder. When it finally stops crying, the Pokémon goes to sleep, all tired out."

"Such an annoying Pokémon fits such an annoying person," Deka murmured. Clover and Free giggled at this.

"Go, Jolt−"

"Grimer!" A red beam of light shot from a ball on Heather's bag to the ground where Grimer appeared.

"Aw, not again!" Heather cried.

"Whismur, use pound!" Rachael ordered.

"Grimer… um… attack!" Heather commanded, still not knowing any of Grimer's attacks.

Grimer followed her orders though, and as Whismur charged at him, he gathered a huge ball of sludge and flung it at the small, pink Pokémon. It caused Whismur to tumble backwards uncontrollably and the grime stuck to his face.

"That's a sludge attack, Heather!" Deka told her.

"Right… Do another one then, Grimer! Sludge!" Heather shouted.

Grimer gathered another ball and threw it at Whismur.

"Whismur, use uproar!" Rachael commanded. Whismur opened his mouth wide and started crying. The sludge broke apart from the rattle of sound waves and fell to the ground. The trainers, including Rachael, covered their ears.

"What other attacks does Grimer know?" Heather asked herself out loud once Whismur had quieted.

Free pointed his Pokédex at Grimer and scanned it.

"It knows sludge, fire punch, and shadow sneak," Free informed her.

"That's pretty nifty! Try your fire punch, Grimer!" Heather shouted.

Grimer nodded and leapt into the air to his best of abilities, his fist on fire. He came down near Whismur and prepared to jab.

"Fake tears!" Rachael ordered quickly.

Whismur flinched and began to cry dramatically. Grimer stopped his attack and looked at Whismur, confused and worried.

"Now, headbutt!" Rachael said happily. She felt like she had fooled her opponent into a victory for herself.

Whismur lunged forward and smashed her head into Grimer's body. Grimer didn't take much damage from this, but he shifted back anyways.

"Alright. Let's try that shadow sneak attack!" Heather ordered.

"Wait, no!" Free yelled.

Grimer focused his energy and his shadow suddenly repositioned itself under Whismur. Whismur had a worried expression on her face whenever suddenly, the shadows rose from the ground and smashed into her. Nothing happened.

"Ghost-type attacks like shadow sneak won't have any effect on a normal-type like Whismur," Free reminded her.

"Oh yeah," Heather murmured.

"You idiot. Forgetting something like that is so stupid of you," Deka cackled.

Heather tuned towards Deka, anger in her face. "Shut up, Deka! I'll punch you in the nose!"

"Not even Rust over here would make that kind of mistake," Deka said, motioning towards Free.

"Don't call me Rust!" Free screamed before murmuring to himself, "I'm not a rusty trainer."

"I'm going to need a stronger attack!" Heather yelled. Grimer turned and nodded to her and gathered a larger ball of sludge.

"I think he's going to go for a sludge bomb!" Free exclaimed, watching Grimer's every move. Deka nodded in agreement. He also held his Pokédex to scan any of Grimer's attacks.

As Grimer gathered the sludge, he began to glow a bright white and started to expand.

"Is he evolving?" Clover screamed over Whismur with curiosity filling her voice.

"Muhhhhhk…!" The purple pile of sludge answered. This time, Free's Pokédex was already out to scan the Pokémon.

"Muk, the Sludge Pokémon. Poison-type. From Muk's body seeps a foul fluid that gives off a nose-bendingly horrible stench. Just one drop of this Pokémon's body fluid can turn a pool stagnant and rancid."

"Awesome! I got a Muk! Muk, use Sludge Bomb!" Heather said excitedly. "And keep away from that nice lake!"

He violently threw the ball into Whismur's mouth, silencing it. Whismur fell back to the ground, unable to get up.

"No! I can't believe my best friend LOST!" Rachael shrieked. "And I bet my poor baby is poisoned, too!"

"She's almost as loud as her Pokémon…" Free snorted. Deka chuckled at his comment.

"Well, I guess you won. What happened to that egg you had?" Rachael asked, returning Whismur to his Poké Ball.

"He just beat you! I guess Muk just wanted revenge from you shaking him as an egg," Heather muttered the last part. Rachael didn't seem to hear her.

"Well, look at the time! I have to go!" Rachael cried. She quickly gave them all hugs before turning to run off. "Bye! I love you all!"

"That was an interesting battle," Deka said. "What an interesting girl…"

"I think the most interesting part was how Grimer evolved. I really wonder how that happened after so little battle experience?" Free asked.

Heather nodded. "Maybe he's special or something. Some Pokémon have great potential."

"Uh huh…" Clover sighed. She sat back down on the rock as soon as a small blue Pokémon hopped out of the lake.

"Aw, what kind of Pokémon is that?" Clover asked.

"That's a Poliwag!" Deka answered proudly. Free smiled as he held up his Pokédex for the fourth time that day.

"Poliwag, the Tadpole Pokémon. Water-type. Poliwag has a very thin skin. It is possible to see the Pokémon's spiral innards right through the skin. Despite its thinness, however, the skin is also very flexible. Even sharp fangs bounce right off it.

"It's cute, I want to catch it!" Clover replied. The Pokémon turned to face her, hearing this statement.

"Yes, seeing its innards is so cute," Deka called sarcastically at his sister.

"Poli?" It said, innocently.

"Swablu, use sing!" Clover said.

Swablu flew off of her head and began to sing sweetly to the Poliwag. Poliwag gently drifted to sleep and Clover pulled out a Poké Ball.

"I'm gonna catch you!" She cried as she threw the ball. Hit gently hit Poliwag and then sucked her into the ball with a red beam. It calmly rocked three times then let out a soft ding.

"Well, that was fast," Heather stated. Clover smiled cockily.

"I'm the best!" She replied, going to pick up the ball. She spoke to it then. "And you're gonna be the best too!"

"This has been a pretty eventful hour," Free laughed.

**A/N Looks like we had a lot go on! Things should be picking up in a bit with a gym battle and eventually the Whirl Cup! We also did a poll for our stories, if you'd like to go to the profile and totally check that out. We'd like to thank any of the new readers that we've received over this past week. Thank you new readers... that is all.**

**Q1) What do you think of Rachael?**

**Q2) How do you think Free and Heather's battle against Janine will turn out?**

**Q3) Out of all of our stories, which is your favorite, so far?**

**Much goofy love, JohtoBlue**


	37. The Gym Battle! Wait No?

After the battle Heather shared with Rachael and Clover caught a Poliwag, the four trainers continued on the path to Olivine, just making it in the late afternoon.

"We still have time to get to the gym!" Free exclaimed, running through the town with Heather, Clover, and Deka on his heels. He stopped at the front doors and tried pulling on the handles, but it was locked.

"Hey, open the door!" Heather cried, knocking on it.

"Jasmine is at the lighthouse," a man said from behind them. He had a handlebar mustache and was wearing sunglasses. "You must go talk to her there if you wish to battle."

The man walked off and the trainers looked at one another.

"I guess that's all we can do," Heather shrugged.

Heather looked around and spotted a massive lighthouse on a cliff by the ocean. Once they got inside, they noticed it was pitch black.

"Come out, Flaaffy. Use flash to light up this room," Heather threw a Poké Ball down.

"Baa!" Flaaffy cried, lighting up her tail. The trainers looked around and saw no one.

"Maybe she's upstairs?" Clover guessed, pointing to a staircase. Heather and Free nodded and were the first to head up the stairs.

"I promise you'll get better, Amphy!" They heard a girls voice call from upstairs. "I just need to get you your medicine… if only I wasn't too afraid to leave you alone…"

"Hello?" Free said when they reached the top.

"Oh, hello. Can I help you?" A young girl with brown hair asked. She sat on the floor cradling a yellow, hairless, sheep-like Pokémon that was almost as big as her. Free pulled out his Pokédex as Heather spoke to the girl.

"Ampharos, the Light Pokémon. Electric-type. Ampharos is the evolved form of Flaaffy. Ampharos gives off so much light that it can be seen even from space. People in the old days used the light of this Pokémon to send signals back and forth with others far away," the Pokédex read aloud.

"Are you Jasmine?" Heather asked.

"I am," she replied, stroking the Ampharos's head.

"We'd like to challenge you to a gym battle!" Free announced.

"Can't you see I'm taking care of a sick Pokémon?" Jasmine snapped, glaring at the trainers. "However… I suppose if you do me a favor, I will battle you."

"What do you need us to do?" Heather asked.

"Could you head over to Cianwood and pick up some medicine from the pharmacy for Amphy?" She gestured at the yellow Pokémon. "They already have my order in, but I'm too afraid to leave him alone."

"Sure! We'll do it!" Heather replied cheerily.

"Anything to help a sick Pokémon and get a gym battle," Free added. "We'll head out right now!"

"Baa…" Flaaffy cried, staying in one spot as the trainers started to head down the stairs.

"What is it, Flaaffy?" Heather asked. Flaaffy pointed at Amphy.

"I think Flaaffy likes Amphy…" Clover whispered to Heather.

"Ohhh…" Heather smirked. "Do you want to stay with Amphy?"

Flaaffy nodded and rushed to Amphy's side, tripping and rolling over to him in the process. Amphy turned his head to the side and smiled at Flaaffy.

"Isn't Pokémon love just the cutest thing you've ever seen?" Clover sighed dreamily.

As the four friends made it out, Heather realized a problem. "We have no way to get to Cianwood."

"You guys need to get to Cianwood?" A skinny, timid looking boy with long, brown hair asked. He stood by the beach and was holding a bunch of tiny seashells and beach glass in his hands.

"Yeah, we're trying to help Amphy get better. Jasmine told us to go to Cianwood to pick up medicine from the pharmacy for her," Free explained.

"My name is Raver. I'm sorry to have bothered you," the boy said, stuffing the sea treasures in his pockets, "but you could use my Lapras to get across, if that wouldn't be too much trouble."

"Really?" Clover squealed. "I've always wanted to go sailing on a Lapras!"

Raver smiled. "We can leave right now, if you want. I mean, if that's alright."

"As soon as possible!" Heather shouted. The five kids walked down towards the south beach of Olivine.

"Come out, Lapras!" Raver said, throwing a Poké Ball out to the water. "I'm sorry to ask this of you, but could you take me and these four trainers to Cianwood?"

"Reeoar!" The Pokémon replied happily.

"Oh, thank you!" Raver exclaimed. "Well, climb on guys. Lapras has plenty of room."

"Thanks! This is great!" Deka replied, taking a seat on Lapras' back.

Raver just grinned sheepishly and rubbed Lapras head.

**A/N One of our shorter chapters. So, a little bit of background information. The author to this story, Heather (or Thea), doesn't really like this chapter. She wrote it over a year ago. You'll see improvement as we go. I, Free, personally love this chapter. It holds something dear to my heart. Raver is based off of a really close friend of mine back whenever we were writing this chapter. I have a short contest for all of you! Whenever Raver introduces more of his Pokemon, see if you can find out what all of his Pokemon share. We have a gym battle coming up soon, then a special tournament! I can't wait for the tournament. It'll feature Raver and another rival.**

**Okay... JohtoBlue**


	38. Getting the Medicine!

It was sunset when the five trainers landed on the north beach of Cianwood. The town wasn't very big—it was filled mostly with small sea cottages—but they couldn't tell which one of the small buildings was the pharmacy.

"Maybe it's this way…" Free suggested, pointing to his left. "Or, if we see someone, we could ask them."

The trainers set out in the way Free pointed and came to a slightly larger building with a red cross on a small white board in the window. Raver knocked before opening the door. A bell tinkled as the door swung open.

"Hello?" An old man's voice called from a desk at the back of the room. "Welcome to Cianwood Pharmacy!"

"Hi, we were sent by Jasmine to pick up Amphy's medicine," Heather smiled sweetly.

"Oh, yes! I received a phone call from Jasmine early to say you were coming! This secret potion I brewed up will heal him up in a day's time!" The old man replied, reaching under his desk and pulling out a small bottle of translucent-pink liquid.

"This doesn't cost anything, does it…?" Deka asked warily. "I don't have any money, and I'm not about to go begging for some."

"Deka, that's rude!" Clover whispered harshly for only her brother to hear, smacking his arm.

"Of course not! Amphy runs the lighthouse, and without him, the ships coming in would crash into that cliff! It would be a disaster!" The pharmacist replied, placing the bottle in a white paper bag. He rolled up the top and handed it to Heather, who was standing at his desk, her eyes downcast shyly.

"Thank you so much," she smiled again.

"Shuckle, Shuckle…" a quiet voice hummed through the room. A Pokémon that resembled a small turtle with a yellow body and a red shell crawled out from behind the man's desk.

"Now, now Shuckie! I have no time to play with you anymore today!" The man scolded the Pokémon.

"Shuckle…" the Pokémon said sadly and withdrew into his shell.

"Oh, a Shuckle!" Free exclaimed, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Shuckle, the Mold Pokémon. Dual bug and rock-type. Shuckle quietly hides itself under rocks, keeping its body concealed inside its hard shell while eating berries it has stored away. The berries mix with its body fluids to become a juice."

"That's disgusting! Who'd want to drink that?" Deka exclaimed after hearing the Pokédex entry.

"It's quite delicious!" The pharmacist snapped at Deka. He turned his attention to the other four trainers. "I just don't know what to do with my Shuckle anymore; I never have time to play with him! He misses the days when we were a team and battled together, but it saddens me that I'm too old to give him that anymore…" the old man sighed. Suddenly his eyes lit up as he gazed at Raver.

"You! You're perfect! You could take Shuckie on an adventure!" The man exclaimed.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry… I couldn't take your Pokémon," Raver lowered his head to look to the ground.

"Please, would you? Shuckie needs to get out!" The man begged, holding out a Poké Ball.

"Well… if it wouldn't be too much trouble…" Raver reached out his hand to grasp the ball.

"Thank you, so much! If any of you need anything, my name is Kirk. You are welcome to visit any time!"

"No, thank you for this medicine! We should get it back to Amphy," Heather sighed. "Good bye, Kirk!"

"Shuckie, return," Raver said as they left.

When the trainers made it back to Olivine on Lapras's back, they hopped off and ran as fast as they could to the lighthouse. It was now late at night and all five trainers were exhausted, but they were determined to help Amphy.

"We have your medicine, Amphy!" Heather said as she sat next to Jasmine, Flaaffy, and Amphy.

"Baa…" the Pokémon cried weakly.

"Just in time, too," Jasmine smiled with tears trickling down her face. "Open wide, Amphy."

Amphy opened his mouth and allowed Jasmine to pour the pink liquid down his throat. He smiled in content as if the medicine was already working to make him better.

"I'd battle you two now, but Amphy needs to rest up, and I don't want to leave him until I know for sure that he's alright!" Jasmine told Free and Heather.

"It's okay, we understand," Free replied.

"We're just glad we could help," Heather added before speaking to her Flaaffy. "Would you like to stay here with Amphy?"

Flaaffy nodded and took hold of Amphy's hand who then licked her face.

"That's just so sweet," Jasmine cooed.

"He just licked her face," Free frowned, confused about what was so sweet.

"You're just a boy, you wouldn't get it," Jasmine dismissed Free's comment.

"Get what?" Free persisted.

"Nothing, Free," Clover answered for Jasmine. All three girls smiled. Raver and Deka weren't paying attention. Free frowned harder, making his face even more incredulous.

"I just want my gym battle…" he pouted.

**A/N Another short chapter, but one of my favorites. Raver is based off an old friend of mine, so I just like that character a lot. We're getting close to the next gym battle! Then the next gym battle after that doesn't take place till Chapter 59.**

**Mucho Love...o? Johto Blue**


	39. Battling with Steel!

The next day, all five trainers woke late morning. Raver had stayed the night with them at the Olivine City Pokémon Center. During the stay, Raver revealed he was a Pokémon trainer from Cerulean City in the Kanto region.

Today, Free was the first to wake up. He yawned and stretched, picking Chikorita up off his chest and setting her gently on to the bed's mattress.

"Heather, we have gym battles today," he groaned sleepily, shaking his friend. She mumbled a little and swatted his hand away as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Let's go see Jasmine," she yawned, grabbing her bag from beside her bed and returning the still sleeping Totodile to his ball. Free did the same, returning Chikorita to her ball. The two scrambled into their day clothes and left a note on the door to Deka, Clover, and Raver saying where they'd gone and that they should go watch their battles if they awoke soon.

Heather and Free jogged all the way to the lighthouse. Every minute they got more excited about their coming gym battles.

"Hello," Jasmine said when the two reached the top stair. Amphy and Flaaffy were chasing each other happily around the room. "Amphy is all better. That medicine sure did the trick, so I guess I owe you guys a gym battle."

"You sure do!" Heather replied with a wide smile.

"Well let's head back to the gym, then," Jasmine replied, pushing past the two trainers to go down the stairs.

"I know you don't want to go, Flaaffy, but we need to. You'll see Amphy again someday," Heather told her Pokémon.

"Baa…" Flaaffy replied softly, giving Amphy a hug goodbye. Amphy hugged back and licked Flaaffy's cheek, causing sparks to fly about them.

"Careful! I don't want either of you electrocuting each other!" Heather giggled. Flaaffy nodded and waved at Amphy as Heather pulled out a Poké Ball to return her Pokémon.

After that, Free and Heather followed Jasmine down the stairs and to her gym. The trainers instantly recognized it from their first visit.

"I don't have enough time for two battles today," Jasmine sighed. "I have to go eat lunch with my family soon and check back up on Amphy, but I would gladly have a double battle with you two."

"That sounds great!" Free shouted, eager to work together with his best friend.

"In that case, please stand in the box on your side of the battlefield," Jasmine replied as she walked to her side of the field. A referee came out of a back room and took his place as well.

"This battle will be a two on two Pokémon double battle between Jasmine, the gym leader, and the two challengers. Jasmine may use two Pokémon and each challenger may only use one each. No time limit. Begin!" The referee announced.

"Magneton, Steelix, time to win!" Jasmine yelled, throwing out two Poké Balls.

The Magneton's three Magnemite swirled around together, never coming apart. Steelix's body sections twirled menacingly, his massive jaw and smile intimidating.

Free whipped out his Pokédex.

"Magneton, the Magnet Pokémon. Dual electric and steel-types. Magneton is the evolved form of Magnemite. Magneton is actually formed by three Magnemite that link together when the number of black spots on the sun increases. It generates powerful radio waves that raise temperatures by 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit within a 3,300-foot radius," the Pokédex read. Free held it to Steelix next. "Steelix, the Iron Snake Pokémon. Dual steel and ground-types. Steelix is the evolved form of Onix. Steelix lives even further underground than Onix. This Pokémon is known to dig towards the earth's core. There are records of this Pokémon reaching a depth of over six-tenths of a mile underground."

"Better not send out Totodile, Heather. He doesn't stand a chance against that Magneton, and not Muk because poison-type attacks don't effect steel Pokémon," Free muttered to his friend. "Also psychic, ghost, and normal attacks won't work well either, so probably not Misdreavus or Girafarig. Looks like you need to use Flaaffy or Jolteon. At least most electric attacks wouldn't affect them much."

"Right," Heather nodded, already grabbing a Poké Ball. "Go, Jolteon!"

"Go, Heracross!" Free shouted, throwing a Poké Ball along with Heather.

"Jolt, Jolt!" Jolteon shouted, shooting out sparkling blue electricity.

"Heracross!" Heracross cried, opening and closing his wings, ready for battle.

"Your Jolteon is very peculiar-looking, but it's no match for my Pokémon," Jasmine grinned. "Magneton, try a tri-attack!"

"Magneton," the Pokémon's electronic voice cooed as the three Magnemite that made it up swirled around each other, charging a ball of fire, ice, and electricity.

"Heracross, go for close combat!" Free ordered hurriedly. "Stop that Magneton!"

"Jolteon, move out of the way!" Heather commanded just in time as Heracross threw himself at Magneton, attacking him with all his strength. Magneton was thrown back against the wall, unable to move.

"Magneton is unable to battle!" The referee announced.

"Not even giving my Magneton a chance to battle?" Jasmine asked, sounding appalled. "That Heracross of yours is really strong." Jasmine lifted her Poké Ball and returned Magneton into it. Her smile never faded; the two trainers new she had a trick up her sleeve.

"I know Heracross is going to be weaker now after using close combat, so I'll try to cover him, Free," Heather told Free quietly. He nodded. "Jolteon, use mud-slap!" Heather shouted.

Jolteon turned and kicked mud into Steelix's eyes using his back legs.

"Steelix, slam them!" Jasmine commanded.

"Heracross, fly up with Jolteon!" Free yelled quickly. Right before Steelix's tail hit the two, Heracross managed to pick Jolteon up and fly above Steelix's heavy tail.

"I'm going to use a double kick to Steelix's head, so have Heracross drop Jolteon on his head," Heather whispered.

"Heracross, drop Jolteon on Steelix now!" Free shouted when they were above their target.

"Jolteon, use double kick!" Heather ordered.

"Jolt!" Jolteon replied, kicking with enough force to send Steelix's head into the ground.

"Heracross, use focus blast!" Free commanded, hit by a sudden stroke of battle inspiration.

"Jolteon, use thunderbolt!" Heather yelled at the same time.

Both Pokémon shot their respective attacks. They came together to form a crackling yellow beam that shot right into Steelix, who flew towards the gym wall, busting through it.

"We did it!" Both trainers cried out happily.

"No, Steelix!" Jasmine cried.

"No, the gym!" The referee shouted. He ran out the hole in the wall and then ran back in. Steelix was following him.

"No…" Free whimpered.

"Good job, Steelix! Use your iron tail!"

"Use your endure!" Free screamed.

Steelix's tail lit up a bright white. He swung towards Jolteon, but Heracross jumped in the way and grabbed ahold of it. He was glowing a light red color. Steelix's tail shot back, but threw Heracross back into the wall.

"Mud-slap!" Heather ordered.

Jolteon turned around and kicked more mud up into the air. It hit Steelix directly in his face, causing him to cry in pain.

"He's going to be blind for awhile now!" Heather informed Free. "Here's our chance!"

"Aerial Ace!" Free called.

Heracross shot forward, his horn glowing white. He stabbed his horn into Steelix, causing the giant Pokémon to fall back.

"Now, Focus Blast-Thunderbolt combo!" Free and Heather ordered, synchronized.

Heracross formed another ball of energy in his arms as Jolteon released as many volts of electricity from his body as he could, connecting with Heracross' energy beam. The attacks merged into the yellow, crackling energy from before. It connected directly with Steelix, forcing him to the ground again. Heracross fell to the ground, too weak to move anymore.

"Steelix is unable to battle. Victory goes to the challengers!" The referee smiled, holding a flag to Heather and Free.

"Yay, we did it, for real this time!" Heather squealed, hugging Free before they ran to their Pokémon and hugged them as well.

Jasmine had a sad smile. "Steelix will be fine. You two deserve these−"

"WAIT! Don't start the battle yet!" A boy's voice cried, as the gym doors opened and Deka and Clover walked in.

"Guys… it's already over…" Free smiled, scratching the back of his head. "You missed it."

"Aw!" Clover stomped her foot in annoyance. She looked around at the cracks in the walls and the one wall completely destroyed. "Holy Arceus!"

"As I was saying, you two deserve these two Mineral badges. I hope the rest of your journey goes safely," Jasmine grinned.

Free pinned his gym badge under his turtleneck. "Thanks!"

"Hey, it's still morning, guys!" Heather announced after putting her badge away on her bag and pulling out her PokéGear. "Guess what that means?"

"What?" They all asked.

"We can start heading back to Cianwood for Free and mine's next gym battles!"

**A/N I've been waiting to post up this chapter for a long time! It's getting close to the Whirl Cup! I'm so pumped for it! I hope that you all enjoy it too. Thanks for all of the continuous support! You all are my comfortable bra...**

**Wacky comment, Johto Blue**


	40. We're On Our Way!

"Come, trainers of Olivine!" A man with slicked-back black hair and a bushy mustache was shouting from a podium as the four trainers stepped out of the gym. "I am here to see who is interested in participating in a great event—the Whirl Cup tournament!"

"Excuse me, but what's the Whirl Cup?" Heather asked the man.

"Why, the Whirl Cup is a tournament held between water Pokémon trainers! Trainers from all over the world come to the Whirl Islands to participate! If you win, you receive the beautiful Mystic Water pendant, plus the title of 'Sea Hero!'" The man explained.

"Sea Hero…" Deka sighed to himself, almost dreamily. "Too bad I don't have any water-types."

"How many water Pokémon do you need to participate?" Heather wondered aloud, thinking of Totodile, her only water Pokémon.

"Only two," the man smiled. "You can enter more, but you can only use two per match. When you continue on, you can switch up your Pokémon!"

"When is it?" Free asked, getting excited, even though he only had one water-type as well. "And where?"

"Registration starts the day after tomorrow, and you must register on Blue Point Isle to compete in the battles the day after that," the man explained. He pulled out a map to show the kids where the islands were located. "However… the battles themselves are all held on Red Rock Isle."

"Great! But… you, Clover, and I only have one water Pokémon each… and Deka doesn't have any!" Free sighed.

"Oh, I'm sure it will be fine! There are plenty of water Pokémon around Olivine, like Krabby, Magikarp, and even Staryu!" The man exclaimed, patting Free on the shoulder. "You look like fine young trainers, so I'm sure you can catch some!"

"Thanks!" Heather grinned. "How do we cross over to the islands though?"

"Well, there's a ship that will take you over there, but you have to pay," the man frowned.

"Where did Raver go with his Lapras?" Deka sighed. "He could get us to the island."

"Maybe if we look around Olivine, we can find him!" Clover suggested.

"Sounds like a plan…" Heather muttered. "Let's go!"

The four friends started looking around Olivine. It didn't take long to find Raver; he was sitting on the white, sandy beach of Olivine with his Lapras and three other Pokémon: Squirtle, Shuckle, and Shellder. He had been collecting seashells and beach glass again.

"Hey, Raver!" Free shouted, running up to the trainers' new friend. He looked at the Pokémon and grinned, pulling out his Pokédex. "Awesome! Check these guys out!"

"Shellder, the Bivalve Pokémon. Water-type. Its shell is harder than diamond. It hides in sand on the sea floor and catches prey with its soft tongue." Free redirected his Pokédex towards the Squirtle. "Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. Squirtle's shell is not merely used for protection. The shell's rounded shape and the grooves on its surface help minimize resistance in water, enabling this Pokémon to swim at high speeds."

"Aw, what a cutie!" Heather exclaimed, patting the turtle Pokémon on the head.

"Hey, Free, Heather, Clover, and Deka," Raver smiled shyly. "How are you guys doing?"

"Great! But we were wondering if we could ask you another favor," Heather replied, returning a shy smile.

"Sure, what is it?" Raver asked, tilting his head.

"We were wondering if you could take us all to Blue Point Isle to enter in the Whirl Cup," Free answered for her.

"I was thinking of entering it myself," Raver stood up, dusting sand off of his pants. "It'd be no trouble to take you all. I suppose we should leave today. Registration is the day after tomorrow and it'll take the whole day to get there. Lapras will need a day's rest before she can battle in the tournament."

"Sounds great!" Heather and Free exclaimed. Deka and Clover looked at each other and smiled.

"Those three need to catch another Pokémon before then, too," Deka told Raver.

"Not me!" Clover cried. "There are some scary water Pokémon and water Pokémon trainers out there! I think I'll just watch."

"What a sissy!" Deka laughed.

"I'm your sissy!" Clover retorted, crossing her arms angrily.

"Well, climb aboard," Raver said, gesturing to Lapras. "We'll have plenty of time to catch Pokémon tomorrow! Squirtle, Shellder, Shuckie, return!"

As the red beam of light returned the Pokémon, Clover, Deka, Free, and Heather climbed aboard Lapras. Raver followed once all his Poké Balls were tucked safely away.

"To Blue Point Isle, Lapras. You know the way," Raver said.

"Reeeooar!" Lapras cried happily, glad to be able to swim along in the ocean once more.

**A/N It's getting there! I'm so pumped for the Whirl Cup. I remember watching it as a little kid. I loved it.**

**Q1) If you could be in any type of type-restricted tournament, what would it be? (Water, Grass, Dark, etc.)**

**Q2) Ask us a question! We'll answer anything.**

**Q3) What Pokemon do you think Free or Heather will capture to compete in the Whirl Cup?**

**Love you like... I love pie, and I love pie! Johto Blue**


	41. Two New?

"What's that splashing over there, Heather?" Free asked as Lapras sailed by a small, rocky island. There seemed to be an intense battle going on between two wild Pokémon along the shore.

"Poliwhirl!" A big, blue Pokémon with a swirl on his chest cried, while water seemed to consume his fist in a great ball.

"Chinchou!" A small, blue and round Pokémon with yellow antennae shouted as electricity sparked between the two teardrop-shaped orbs that hung from each antenna.

Free gripped his Pokédex tightly, afraid to drop it in the ocean even though he had never lost grip of the device on land.

"Poliwhirl, the Tadpole Pokémon. Poliwhirl is the evolved form of Poliwag. Water-type. The spiral pattern on its belly subtly undulates. Staring at it gradually causes drowsiness." The Pokédex's voice paused as Free repositioned the device and pointed it at the other Pokémon. "Chinchou, the Angler Pokémon. Dual water and electric-types. When it senses danger, it discharges positive and negative electricity from its two antennae. It lives in depths beyond sunlight's reach."

Poliwhirl flung his fist at Chinchou, still bubbling with water as Chinchou sent a blast of electricity through the other water Pokémon.

"They look like pretty tough Pokémon, Heather. Maybe we should catch them!" Free nudged his friend. "They'd be great for the Whirl Cup!"

"What if they run off when we approach them?" Heather asked. "Then we'll never catch them!"

"Chikorita, get ready to use vine whip…" Free told his Pokémon, a plan forming in his head. "Raver, tell Lapras to sail behind that rock!"

"Lapras, sail behind that rock!" Raver whispered loudly.

"Reoar!" Lapras purred softly, swimming towards a large, nearby rock that jutted from the ocean floor.

"Now, grab them both with vine whip!" Free told Chikorita.

"Chika!" She replied. Shooting vines out of her neck and tightly wrapping them around the two Pokémon, breaking up their battle.

"Now, Flaaffy, use thunder wave!" Heather exclaimed, throwing a Poké Ball onto the island's shore.

"Baa!" Flaaffy replied as she popped out of the ball and set waves of electricity out to paralyze the two water Pokémon. They soon lay limp in the sand, unable to move much at all.

"Now, Poké Ball, go!" Free and Heather shouted at the same time, not knowing who was going for what Pokémon. The balls met in the middle of the two, and bounced off each other. Heather's collided with Chinchou as Free's hit the Poliwhirl.

The balls rocked three times each before they burst open again.

"Drat! I thought you had them!" Deka shouted.

"Flaaffy, use thundershock!"

"Chikorita, razor leaf!"

Poliwhirl managed to stand up as the attacks flew towards them. He shot a beam of ice out of the middle of the spiral on his chest at Chikorita. It missed as Lapras drifted away from the attack. Poliwhirl, however, was hit dead on by Chikorita's attack.

Thundershock hit Chinchou as Poliwhirl fell back from getting hit by Chikorita's razor leaf, but Chinchou seemed unaffected.

"It's like Chinchou absorbed it!" Clover observed.

Chinchou then shot a wave of electricity towards Lapras.

"No! Don't get hurt! Return!" Raver shouted. As the beam of red light consumed Lapras, the trainers fell into the water as the wave passed a foot above where they had been. Chinchou and Poliwhirl both collapsed from the strain of moving when paralyzed.

"Here's another chance!" Heather said. Whenever Free didn't respond, she turned around and noticed that he was flailing in the water. The wave had knocked him under the water.

"Go, Totodile!" Heather shouted while she threw her ball from her necklace into the air.

Totodile was released into the air, but he dropped into the water and grabbed ahold of Free. He helped Free swim back to shore. Eventually, everyone else found their way back to shore.

Free coughed heavily and smacked his fist against his chest.

"I didn't know that you couldn't swim," Raver apologized.

Free shook his head. "It's okay." He looked over to notice that the Pokémon were still struggling to get back up.

"There is your chance!" Deka screamed.

"Poké Ball, go!" They shouted, throwing them towards the Pokémon the balls had originally gone towards. This time though, the Pokémon were too exhausted to fight back. There were quickly absorbed into the Poké Balls and the short wait would begin. After a few rocks, the Poké Balls laid still.

Heather and Free ran from the shore and picked up the balls, giving each other a high five.

"Well, it looks like you two are ready for the Whirl Cup!" Raver said happily as he let Lapras out of her Poké Ball. "Now, climb back on Lapras's back and we can head out!"

**A/N I'm sorry for this very late update. It's been hectic this past month. I has a lot of personal issues! School just started which means that I may actually be able to update every week. We should be updating the rest soon. Hopefully I'll get out of my rut.**

**Much love but not enough to get me in bed, JohtoBlue**


	42. Meeting the Family!

"We're almost to Blue Point Isle!" Heather screamed, watching their location on her PokéGear slowly advance towards a small mass of land.

"And that's the one we have to register to battle on, right?" Free asked.

"Right," Raver replied, stroking Lapras's neck. "Not too much longer, girl."

"Reeoar!" Lapras replied, splashing some water up happily with her front flippers.

"Lapras is so cute!" Clover cooed, stroking one of the bumps on Lapras's shell. "I want one!"

"Blu!" Her Swablu agreed, flapping her wings a few times, threatening to take flight still attached to Clover's headband.

"You couldn't handle one. Lapras are intelligent creatures, Clover. And you… are just not intelligent enough," Deka smirked, teasing his sister. Lapras grinned at hearing this and tipped over to the side Deka was sitting on. He slid off into the water.

"Lapras!" Raver chuckled. "That wasn't very nice…"

"Reeeoooooaaarrr…" Lapras bowed her head and stopped in place as Deka swam back to her and scrambled back onto his spot.

"Alright, I get it," Deka grumbled. "A little bit too intelligent…"

Pretty soon the trainers were on the shore of the island. Raver returned Lapras to her Poké Ball, and Free carried along Chikorita who was wobbly on land after sitting on Lapras for a day.

"Where do we go to register?" Free asked to no one in particular. The group looked around for a few minutes as they walked along the beach.

"I see a building over there," Raver finally pointed out. "And look, I think that big sign says something about the Whirl Cup!"

The five trainers hurried over to the front of the building to find out it was a large Pokémon Center-type building.

"Let's go in!" Heather smiled, pushing open the door. There was a small line up to the desk where Nurse Joy was standing, looking at a computer screen.

"And what did you say your name was?" Nurse Joy asked. A girl with long, light blonde hair covered with a light blue messenger cap, a light blue shirt, and dark blue pants held out a small card to her.

"Trina Frost," she said confidently. "From Cerulean City."

"And what Pokémon would you like to be registering for the Whirl Cup?"

"These ones," Trina replied, holding out three Poké Balls. "Vaporeon, Octillery, and Kingdra."

"Alright, let me just stick them in this−"

"Trina!" Heather shouted, running up to the girl and hugging her.

"Heather!" Trina replied, hugging her back. "It's been so long since I've seen you! Who are your friends?" Trina asked, peering at the four behind Heather.

"Free, Deka, Clover, Raver… this is my cousin Trina!" Heather introduced them, pointing at each person while she said their names.

"Hello," they all replied shyly.

Deka blushed. "I'm Deka…"

"So you're entering in this contest too?" Trina asked. "I didn't know you had any water Pokémon, or any Pokémon at all!"

"I do have water Pokémon! I have a Totodile and a Chinchou now," Heather replied.

"Those sound like pretty weak Pokémon…" Trina smirked. "Unless they were raised right. I'm sure you did fine."

"That was kind of rude," Free whispered to Deka.

"Who cares! She's hot!" Deka snapped.

"What do you mean? I think it's kind of chilly in here," Free shrugged. Deka sighed and smacked himself in the face.

Meanwhile, they line had dropped down and Free, Heather and Raver were next in line.

"Can I get your Trainer Card and Poké Balls of the Pokémon you plan to register?" Nurse Joy asked Free.

Free did as he was told and in no time, Heather and Raver were registered too. They were directed to a hotel on Red Rock Isle on a map where they would be staying, free of charge.

"We love people who express their love for water Pokémon, so we won't charge you kids for anything!" Nurse Joy smiled happily.

"Do you all want to go and grab something to eat? We can let you and Trina catch up!" Deka suggested. "I can also get to know Trina, if you know what I mean!"

Clover stomped on his foot. "Behave!"

"There is a diner in the Pokémon Center. Come to think of it, I'm really hungry," Free added. "I could go for a cheeseburger!"

With that, the trainers worked their way over to the diner and ordered their food. They found a booth that would fit all of them and sat down.

"I heard from Splash that you're taking on the gym challenge here in Johto. How is that going for you?" Trina asked.

"I just won the Mineral Badge back in Olivine. I have three more badges to win," Heather explained.

"Are these people just traveling with you for fun, or what?" Trina asked. She stuck her spoon topped with chocolate pudding in her mouth.

"I'm collecting badges for the Silver Conference," Raver explained.

"So am I. I started my journey a little bit late though," Free added.

Deka nodded. "I'm too cool for gym badges. I'm here training and giving as much advice to Rust and Heather that I can."

"Don't call me Rust," Free snapped quietly.

"That's nice of you," Trina replied. She seemed uninterested in Deka.

There was an awkward silence while the group finished up their food.

"We better get going," Raver frowned. "Poor Lapras has to swim again…"

"Lapras are made to swim, Raver. They live in water. She doesn't mind," Clover said.

"Yeah, I just feel so bad making her do all the work…"


	43. First Round!

"Here we are at Red Rock Isle," Clover sighed dreamily as they stepped off of Lapras onto the shore. Red Rock Isle was a very tropical and beautiful island abundant in Pokémon. It was also sunset, making the island look even more beautiful. Misdreavus had decided to leave her Poké Ball to bask in the growing darkness.

"And there's our hotel!" Heather added excitedly as they started to approach a large building.

"Misdreavus, Mis!" Misdreavus smirked, sticking out her tongue and licking the back of Free's neck.

"ACK!" He screamed, shuddering at the feeling.

"Misdreavus! Stop that! You could paralyze him!" Heather scolded the ghost Pokémon.

"Misdreavus…" she sobbed, before smirking deviously and using her psychic powers to pull three Poké Balls off of Free's belt and juggle them.

"Your Misdreavus sure is a trouble maker," Deka frowned, shaking his head. "I hope she doesn't get _you_ into trouble…"

"Misdreavus, return," Heather nodded to Deka's comment. She caught two of the falling Poké Balls in mid-air, but a third one fell to the ground and Wooper popped out of it.

"Woopa?" Wooper looked around, confused, until he tilted his head back too far and tumbled over backwards.

"Wooper, return," Free said after Heather handed back his Poké Ball.

By then, they were already at the giant, glass front doors of the hotel. They showed their proof of Whirl Cup registration and the man helped them find their room.

The next morning, Free, Heather, and Raver woke early to check when they would be battling for their preliminary rounds. After they found out when and where they would be battling, they woke up Deka and Clover so they could all head off to their rounds. They all had to battle at the same time, so none of them got to watch each other's battles. Deka followed Free to his match while Clover followed Heather to hers.

"I'm Bobby," a rather large kid eating a doughnut called from one side of the water field Heather was supposed to battle on.

"Um, hi," Heather replied shyly as a referee stepped up to a small podium at the side of the field.

"This is a preliminary round of the Whirl Cup between Bobby Richardson from Mauville City in the Hoenn region and Heather Glacies from Newbark in the Johto region. This battle is a one-on-one water Pokémon battle. Whoever loses this battle will be eliminated from the Whirl Cup. No time limit… BEGIN!" The referee shouted.

"Lombre, get 'er!" Bobby shouted, throwing a Poké Ball.

"Totodile, let's go!" Heather responded, yanking his ball off her necklace and throwing it onto a small platform in the middle of the small field.

"Lombre, absorb!" Bobby mumbled, munching on his doughnut.

"Dive in the water, Totodile!" Heather commanded. Lombre's attack soared over the water. A few seconds later, Totodile floated back to the top of the water.

"Lombre, use nature power!" Bobby said. Lombre gathered energy from his surroundings and blasted water at Totodile, who was unaffected.

"This is a piece of cake…" Heather smirked.

"Cake?" Bobby's eyes lit up.

"Totodile, bite!" Heather yelled, ignoring Bobby. Totodile opened his jaws white and chomped down on Lombre's arm. Lombre screeched in pain and flung his arm around, with Totodile still attached.

"Lombre, try using absorb," Bobby shrugged.

"Release, Totodile!" Heather ordered. "Now use rage!"

"Totodile!" Totodile growled, his eyes seeming to flame with anger. He charged at Lombre, breaking through his attack and tackled him into the brick wall that was surrounding the battlefield. He then proceeded to scratch and bite Lombre until Bobby called off the battle in distress.

"The winner is Heather Glacies!" The referee announced.

"You did it, Heather!" Clover cheered. "You're moving on!"

"Yeah… I wonder how Free and Raver did…" she replied.

Over in another small stadium, Free readied himself for his battle. His opponent was a girl who wore red short shorts and a bright pink tank top.

"This is a preliminary round of the Whirl Cup between Free Flarez from Cherrygrove in the Johto region and Ellen Princeton from Cianwood in the Johto region. This battle is a one-on-one water Pokémon battle. Whoever loses this battle will be eliminated from the Whirl Cup. No time limit… BEGIN!" The referee shouted just as the other did.

"C'mon out, Corsola!" Ellen shouted while tossing her Poké Ball into the air. A pearl color Pokémon appeared on one of the circle islands that floated a top the water.

Free pulled out his Pokédex and quickly scanned Corsola. "Corsola, the Coral Pokémon. Dual water and rock-type. Corsola live in warm southern seas. If the area becomes polluted, the beautiful coral stocks become discolored and crumble away."

"Alright, let's give this a try. You got this, Poliwhirl!" Free called. Poliwhirl flipped out of his Poké Ball and landed on another piece of land. He crossed his arms and glared at Corsola.

"Pin Missile, Corsola!" Ellen ordered without warning.

"Dodge it!" Free called.

Corsola jumped into the air and released many small pins from her back. The pins raced for Poliwhirl, smacking into him before he could move.

"Poliwhirl!" Free screamed.

Poliwhirl burst out of the water and swam back to shore. He stood back up strong and glared.

"Alright. Let's try your Water Pulse!" Free ordered.

A small orb appeared between Poliwhirl's hands. He jumped and lunged the orb forward. The orb smashed into the water and formed a small tidal wave. The wave crashed into Corsola, sending her into the water.

"That should've done it!" Free cheered.

Corsola emerged from the water. She looked damaged and almost through.

"Use Recovery!" Ellen called calmly.

Corsola began to glow for a few seconds. Once it was done, all wounds were removed.

"That's not good," Free noted. He grabbed ahold of his Pokédex and scanned Poliwhirl. His face suddenly lit up with an idea.

"Alright, Poliwhirl! Use one more Water Pulse!"

Poliwhirl released another ball from his hand. The ball smacked the water and caused yet another tidal wave.

"Now use DynamicPunch!" Free's voice called from within the waves.

Poliwhirl flew through the waves, his fist glowing. He punched Corsola in her jaw, sending her flying. She skid across the water and smacked into the water. She sunk low, unconscious.

"Free is the winner!" The referee announced.

**A/N OMG! An update that seems on time! I know right?**


	44. Woop it Up!

"Heather! I made it through the preliminaries!" Free shouted as soon as he saw his friend walking towards him.

"That's great!" Heather replied, hugging him.

"It was a great battle," Deka said from behind them to Clover.

"Heather did pretty well too," Clover told her brother.

"At first, I didn't think I would do well because my opponent had a Corsola! But then I found out Poliwhirl knows dynamic punch, which worked really well on her Pokémon!" Free grinned, still pumped from his match. "So when do we battle again?"

"Soon," Heather said, reading a schedule they had received when registering. "We're to give Nurse Joy our Pokémon to heal, and then prepare for our next battle."

"I'm ready," Free stated.

"Don't you want to heal Poliwhirl?" Heather asked.

"We only use one of our Pokémon in the next round, Heather, and I'm going to use Wooper!" Free announced.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Deka scrunched his eyebrows together, thinking. "Wooper isn't the best battler."

"Hey! Wooper is great! And if you can tell me a better way to train him to battle without battling, feel free to share!" Free replied strongly.

"I think that is a good way to train," Clover said quietly.

"Good!" Free replied. "Now, time to wait to battle!"

Heather, Free, Deka, and Clover all made their way to a Pokémon Center where they waited for Totodile to be healed before the next round. The time finally came to battle, but Free and Heather were battling at the same time once more.

"I'm sorry, kids. This next round is still weeding out the trainers who won't do well in this tournament!" And official explained. "That's why you're just using one Pokémon each. Now, get out there and do your best!"

"Good luck," Free and Heather said to each other. Free walked through one set of doors and Heather out another.

"Ladies and gentleman! Welcome to the first round of the Whirl Cup!" An announcer yelled from the top of a small stadium. A teenager was standing on the opposite side of the field from Free, glaring.

"This battle between Free Flarez from Cherrygrove City in the Johto region and Miju Maru from the Kanto region. This battle is a one-on-one water Pokémon battle. Whoever loses this battle will be eliminated from the Whirl Cup. No time limit… Begin!" A referee announced.

"Wooper, come on out!" Free threw his Luxury ball onto a platform floating on the battlefield's water.

"Woopa!" Wooper cried, doing a somersault and almost falling into the water. Instead, his head hung over the water and he stared at his own reflection, smiling widely.

"Starmie, let's go!" Miju growled fiercely.

"Brrr!" Starmie spun its star and the red jewel on its front blinked.

"Wooper, water gun!" Free shouted. Wooper made an angry expression at his reflection and blasted it with water.

"Not the water, get Starmie!" Free encouraged Wooper.

"Starmie, rapid spin!" Miju ordered.

Starmie spun both its stars quickly and hovered on its side at lightning speed towards Wooper, knocking him back into the water around the platform.

"Wooper!" Free cried, fearing he had already lost.

"Woopa?" Wooper's head popped out of the water.

"And Free's Pokémon seems unaffected by that rapid spin, folks!" The announcer's voice rang in the background. Free ignored him.

"Wooper, try tackling it!" Free commanded. Wooper scrambled out of the water and headbutted Starmie.

"Psychic, Starmie. Finish him," Miju responded to the attack swiftly.

"Brrrr!" Starmie cried, twirling its back star as the jewel on its front began to glow. Wooper began to float in the air, smiling as the feeling of flying took over him.

"Woopa! Woopa!" Wooper sang happily.

"No, Wooper! This isn't go−" Free was cut off as Starmie slammed Wooper down into the water with its psychic.

Wooper floated to the top a few moments later, unconscious.

"Wooper is unable to battle!" The referee decided.

"And there you have it!" The announcer screeched. "Miju Maru will be moving on to the second round."

"Wooper, return," Free hung his head and walked off the field.

"I'm sorry about your loss," Raver said as soon as Free made it back to the Pokémon Center lobby.

"How did you do?" Free asked him.

"I won," Raver sighed.

"How did Heather do?"

"She won," Raver whispered. "Totodile beat down a Golduck."

"Aww, so I'm the only one not going on?" Free frowned.

"It would seem so, my friend."

**A/N Not exactly a happy ending, but some of our heroes are moving on! **

**Q1) What do you think will come next?!**

**Q2) Out of the three that are still in the group, who would you like to see face each other?**

**Q3) Do you think Free should've used Poliwhirl or is training good for Wooper?**

**Q4) Will Wooper ever become a good battler?**


	45. Heather vs Kiandra

"Woo! Heather! You can do it!" Free, Deka, Clover, Trina, and Raver all shouted from the stands at once as Heather walked onto the watery battlefield.

"This is battle between Heather Glacies from Newbark Town in the Johto region and Kiandra Smith from Pewter City in the Kanto region. This battle is a two-on-two water-type single battle. Pokémon may not be switched out. Whoever loses this battle will be eliminated from the Whirl Cup. No time limit… Begin!"

"Croconaw! It's all you, girl!" Kiandra screeched over the roaring crowd as she threw a bright blue and white Poké Ball.

"Croconaw, the Big Jaw Pokemon and the evolved form of Totodile. Once Croconaw has clamped its jaws on its foe, it will absolutely not let go. Because the tips of its fangs are forked back like barbed fishhooks, they become impossible to remove when they have sunk in. If it loses a fang, a new one grows back in its place. There are always 48 fangs lining its mouth," Free's Pokédex read.

"Croconaw, huh? Well I'll just have to show you up with my Totodile!" Heather answered, yanking the ball off her necklace and throwing it to the field.

"Totodile!" Totodile skipped in a circle happily, clapping his hands.

"Croconaw, use attract!" Kiandra ordered. Croconaw turned and winked at Totodile, who blushed a little. Kiandra's Croconaw shook her tail at Totodile and Totodile's eyes drooped with a misty look in his eyes.

"I got you now!" Kiandra giggled.

"Totodile, don't fall for it! Chikorita is watching!" Heather told her Pokémon. Totodile shook his head and fire returned to his eyes. "Good job! Now use a bite attack!"

"Croconaw, counter him!" Kiandra commanded. As Totodile charged to bite Croconaw, Croconaw stepped forward and punch Totodile in the jaw, closing his mouth.

"Whoa, folks! It looks like Kiandra is going for a good defensive strategy!" An announcer bellowed from the stadium.

"Water gun!" Heather shouted. Totodile quickly opened his mouth once more and shot a burst of water right into Croconaw's stomach. Croconaw bent in pain, but quickly stood back up.

"That's a great water gun, but it's no match for Croconaw's hydro pump! Show them!"

"Croconaw!" Croconaw cried, blasting a huge jet of water at Totodile.

"Totodile! Bide!"Heather screamed.

Totodile glowed faintly as the blast of water hit him, knocking him back into the water. Totodile resurfaced and hopped out of the water, glowing brighter and charging towards Croconaw. When he got close, he opened his mouth and sent a blast of water twice as powerful as Croconaw's hydro pump back at Kiandra's Pokémon.

When the blast of water ended, Croconaw lay defenseless on the ground.

"Croconaw is unable to battle!" The referee announced.

"Croconaw, return. Go, Wartortle!" Kiandra switched out quickly, showing no sign of hope lost.

"War…" Wartortle croaked coolly.

"Wartortle, the Turtle Pokemon and the evolved form of Squirtle. Its tail is large and covered with a rich, thick fur. The tail becomes increasingly deeper in color as Wartortle ages. The scratches on its shell are evidence of this Pokémon's toughness as a battler. It often hide in water to stalk unwary prey. For swimming fast, it moves its ears to maintain balance," the Pokédex chimed.

"Give 'em a skull bash!" Kiandra ordered.

"Try to repel it with a water gun!" Heather ordered. Totodile opened his mouth, but only a small trickle of water shot out.

"Uh oh, it looks like Totodile may be out of water from that powerful blast that defeated Croconaw!" The announcer assumed.

Wartortle's head collided with the inside of Totodile's open mouth and knocked him out.

"Totodile is unable to battle!" The referee said.

"You did great, Totodile. Return. Come on out, Chinchou!" Heather said, proud of her Pokémon's hard work.

"Chin, Chinchou!" Heather's newest addition to her team cheered.

"Use a thunder wave!" Heather ordered.

"Withdraw!" Kiandra quickly commanded. Wartortle withdrew itself into his shell as the thunder wave skimmed over him. The waves faded and as Wartortle slowly made his way out, Heather made her next command.

"Zap cannon!" Heather shouted to her Pokémon.

"Chin…chou!" Chinchou screeched as she shot a large ball of electricity at Wartortle. It hit dead on and Wartortle became paralyzed.

"You can keep going, Wartortle!" Kiandra cheered hopefully.

"War…tortle…" It cried in determination.

"Wow, Heather really knows what she's doing with electric-types and water-types, huh?" Trina asked Heather's friends in the stands. "No wonder she knows how to work with Chinchou."

"This could be it folks! Can Wartortle hold on?" The announcer squealed.

"Chinchou, thunderbolt!" Heather shouted happily. Chinchou gathered more electricity between his two antennae, blasting a bolt at Wartortle.

"No!" Kiandra cried as the bolt struck her Pokémon. Wartortle fainted.

"Wartortle is unable to battle! Heather Glacies will be moving on to the next round of the Whirl Cup!" The referee shouted.

"Yeah! You did it! Yay!" Heather's friend cheered as they rushed down to meet her so they could get ready to watch Raver and Trina's battles.

**A/N Looks like Heather is moving on! There are four more battles after this, which if you know the Whirl Cup, means that there will be someone part of our group making it to the finals! Not going to spoil it though!**

**Q1) Do you think that Free should've won his match? Would you like to have seen him continue?**

**Q2) What water-type would you like to see in battle?**

**Q3) If you had a completely water oriented team, who would they be?**


	46. One of the Hardest Battles

"Wow, guys. We're three of the last 16!" Trina cheered, giving Heather and Raver a big hug.

"I know, but I ha e to get to my next match!" Heather grinned at her cousin as the six trainers finished breakfast.

"You'll do great!" Free exclaimed, joining the hug.

"We believe in you!" Deka added as he and Clover also hugged the group.

"Okay, but guys, I really got to go!" Heather said, running through the hallway that would lead her to the battlefield.

Deka peered over at Trina and scooted closer to her. "If you need another hug, I can supply it!"

Trina smiled. "I'm good!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final 16 of the Whirl Cup!" The announcer shouted as the opposing trainers walked onto the field along with a referee.

The other girl was a few years older than Heather. She looked as though she had already experienced a few journeys throughout different regions. Heather would have to be careful.

"This is battle between Heather Glacies from Newbark Town in the Johto region and Nixie Newater from Nuvema Town in the Unova region. This battle is a two-on-two water-type single battle. Pokémon may not be switched out. Whoever loses this battle will be eliminated from the Whirl Cup. No time limit… Begin!"

"Tirtouga, it's all you!" Nixie shouted from across the field, throwing her Poké Ball.

"Tir…?" A small turtle Pokémon croaked, lying on his stomach in front of his trainer.

"Tirtouga, the Prototurtle Pokémon. Dual water and rock type. Tirtouga was restored from a fossil. Tirtouga would swim skillfully and dove to depths beyond half a mile. About 100 million years ago, these Pokémon swam in oceans. It is also thought that they also went on land to attack prey," Free's Pokédex informed them.

"Chinchou!" Heather threw her ball near the water where Chinchou popped out.

"Chou!" The blue and yellow Pokémon cried.

"Looks like Heather will be using her half electric-type Pokémon again to have the advantage! I do say myself that her last victory was _shocking_!" The announcer commented.

Deka sighed, "Even though Heather is using Chinchou, she has to take into consideration that Tirtouga is part rock-type. Their could be some difficult attacks in store for Heather."

"I watched your last battle, and you won't get me with that Pokémon!" Nixie yelled from across the field.

"Oh yeah?" Heather grinned. "Chinchou, water pulse!"

Chinchou sent out large pulses of water that splashed over the side of the field's pool, lifting Tirtouga up into the water.

"There ya go, Tirtouga!" Nixie cheered, as Tirtouga surfed the water pulses. "Now get back on land and use mud slap!"

Tirtouga sailed out of the water as the pulses died and flung a huge glob of mud at Heather's Pokémon, hitting her straight on. Chinchou flinched in pain and tried to escape from the mud.

"That's a super-effective hit!" The announcer announced. "That is definitely the strongest mud slap I've ever seen!"

"Chinchou is unable to battle," the referee called as Chinchou gave up her struggling.

"That's not good! That was Heather's ace!" Free screamed. He bit the top of his turtleneck, nervous that his best friend may be eliminated.

"Chinchou, return. Go! Totodile!" Heather switched out her Pokémon.

Totodile landed on one of the strips of land. He danced around a little bit before noticing that he was in battle.

"Ancientpower!" Nixie ordered.

Tirtouga focused before rocks materialized out of thin air. He moved his head up, forcing the rocks into the air. The rocks fell from the sky towards Totodile.

"Dodge them!" Heather's voice called. She refused to let Totodile lose to Tirtouga too.

Totodile jumped into the air, avoiding one of the rocks. He leapt on one of the rocks, letting him jump into the air and avoid the rest.

"Hydro pump!"

Totodile opened his mouth as wide as he could and blasted as much water as he could out of his mouth. The water crashed into the slow moving Tirtouga, causing water to fly into the air.

"Wow! Did you see that, folks? I think Heather wanted some R-E-V-E-N-G-E on Nixie's Tirtouga!" The announcer screeched as the crowd went wild.

As Totodile's blast of water cleared up, the referee made his decision.

"Tirtouga is unable to battle!"

Nixie quietly returned her Pokémon and threw another ball without saying a word.

"Palp…i…toad…" A frog like creature croaked.

"Ugh, that thing is ugly. But oddly cool…" Free commented from the stands.

"Palpitoad, the Vibration Pokémon. Dual water and ground type. When they vibrate the bumps on their heads, they can make waves in water or earthquake-like vibrations on land. It lives in the water and on land. It uses its long, sticky tongue to capture prey."

"Totodile, bite it!" Heather cried.

"Toto! Totodile!" Totodile cheered, happy to be able to bite something.

"Move!" Nixie called to her Pokémon, but Palpitoad was too slow for Totodile and Totodile clamped on to Palpitoad's face.

"Shake him off!" Nixie commanded.

"Hold tighter!" Heather responded. Nixie's Pokémon continued to struggle.

"Water gun!" Nixie finally said. Palpitoad managed to blast water into Totodile's mouth, blasting him off and out of the way.

"Totodile! Headbutt!" Heather ordered. Totodile ran with his head down straight into Palpitoad's stomach, knocking him backwards and into the stadium wall. It was clear that Palpitoad could not get up.

"Victory goes to Heather Glacies!" The referee announced as the crowd cheered, Free and Heather's other friends screaming the loudest.

**A/N I graduated! I'll have so much time the next semester to write and get caught up. But I graduated! I'm so happy! I'll be going to college next fall to become a writer and english teacher. I am so pumped!**

**Also! I'm thinking about putting in these messages little shoutouts to people so long as we get shoutouts ourselves. I feel like this story isn't getting enough readers for how long I've been working on it. Kind of saddened. If interested, message me.**

**JohtoBlue**


	47. Duel of the Water-Type Cousins!

"Heather! I'm facing you next!" Trina shrieked, jumping up and down as they posted the results of who won what battle and who they would be facing next.

"Awesome," Heather smiled, a little embarrassed of her cousin, who was now dancing in a circle around her and Free.

"And our match is very soon! I gotta pep talk my Pokémon!" Trina continued to shout before she took off down a long hallway.

"Looks like you're battling her next," Deka said, pointing at the time of their battle. "That's in ten minutes. You better find your way there. It looks like it's in a different stadium than your last battle."

"Thanks, Deka!" Heather replied before running off down a hall.

"Good luck, Heather!" Free shouted after her.

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the top eight of the Whirl Cup! Rumor has it that these two girls are cousins! Who will move on to the top four? We're about to find out!" The announcer's voice echoed over the roaring fans, ready for another battle.<p>

"This battle between Heather Glacies from Newbark Town in the Johto region and Trina Frost from Cerulean City in the Kanto region. This battle is a two-on-two water-type single battle. Pokémon may not be switched out. Whoever loses this battle will be eliminated from the Whirl Cup. No time limit… Begin!"

"Chinchou, let's go!" Heather shouted, throwing out the half electric type first.

Chinchou plopped into the water and floated around calmly. Chinchou was beginning to get used to the screaming crowds.

"Vaporeon!" Trina responded quickly, tossing her ball as well.

A light blue, fox-like Pokémon appeared out of the ball. She landed on one of the small platforms and cracked her neck, preparing to battle.

"Vaporeon, the Bubble Jet Pokémon. Water-type. When Vaporeon's fins begin to vibrate, it is a sign that rain will come within a few moments. It prefers beautiful shores. With cells similar to water molecules, it can melt in water. As it uses the fins on the tip of its tail to swim, it blends with the water perfectly," Free's Pokédex announced.

"Chinchou, thundershock!" Heather ordered before Trina had a chance to attack.

"Vaporeon, protect." Trina replied. A shining shield appeared around Vaporeon, deflecting the electricity. As the shield faded into the air, Vaporeon's fins began to vibrate.

"Do you see that? That means it's going to rain," Trina stated, referring to her Pokémon.

"So my electric attacks will hit easier…" Heather muttered to herself just as she saw a cloud creeping over the stadium and a fat raindrop fell on her nose.

"Vaporeon, jump in the water!" Trina shouted. Vaporeon did as she was told and dove into the water, completely disappearing.

"Where'd Vaporeon go?" Could be heard from many trainers in the stands who did not know Vaporeon's cells could melt into water. Heather looked around confused as well.

"Now, iron tail!" Trina ordered. Vaporeon hopped out of the water, reappearing completely, and hit Chinchou with a glowing, steel tail right between her eyes. Chinchou flew to the back of the water battlefield, smacking into the hard wall.

"Chinchou is unable to battle!" The referee decided.

"Chinchou, return. Totodile, your turn!" Heather switched out Pokémon quickly. "Bite!"

"Oh, nuh uh…" Trina giggled. "Vaporeon, skull bash!"

Vaporeon lowered her head and dove right into Totodile's open mouth, knocking him backwards into the stadium wall.

"Totodile!" Heather yelled, willing her Pokémon to get up. Slowly but surely, he did. "That was a tough hit, but let's pull through with bide!"

"Vaporeon, hyper beam!" Trina shouted, knowing Totodile wouldn't stand a chance.

"Vapor… eon!" The Pokémon cried, letting a huge beam of white light erupt from her mouth. The water in the pool churned and a bolt of lightning struck the middle of the field, stirring up a cloud of dust.

When the dust cleared, Vaporeon lay, floating in the water while Totodile stood on one of the platforms. He breathed heavily from exhaustion

"Vaporeon is unable to battle!" the referee declared.

"You did well," Trina huffed, upset that she underestimated Totodile's power, while she returned Vaporeon back into her ball. "Let's go, Octillery!"

A small, red, octopus-looking Pokémon appeared. It curled its legs upward. On the bottom of his legs were yellow suction-cups.

"Octillery, the Jet Pokémon and the evolved form of Remoraid. Dual water and rock-type. It traps enemies with its suction-cupped tentacles, then smashes them with its rock-hard head. It instinctively sneaks into rocky holes. If it gets sleepy, it steals the nest of a fellow Octillery," Free's Pokédex chimed.

"Totodile, use water gun!"

Trina was ready for the attack. She knew that she just had to get in one hit and it would be over. "Respond with aurora beam!"

Both Pokémon released their attacks, Totodile using all of his energy while Octillery looked eased. The attacks clashed in the middle of the stadium, causing an energy that turned into an explosion. Whenever the smoke cleared, Octillery had disappeared.

"Watch out, Totodile!" Clover screamed.

"Get ready to use bite," Heather ordered. She knew that Totodile could not take another hit.

The water behind Totodile suddenly erupted and Octillery emerged.

"Rock blast!" Trina cried out.

While Totodile opened his mouth to clamp down onto Octillery, Octillery blast a boulder from the jet on his mouth. The big rock went into Totodile's mouth and sent him flying into the air. Totodile landed onto the water and floated back to the top, unconscious.

"Totodile is unable to battle! Victory goes to Octillery and Trina!" the referee declared, holding up his flags.

Heather slowly returned Totodile and walked out of the stadium quietly, disappointed at her loss, but slightly happy her cousin would move on in the competition.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Two more chapters for the Whirl Cup! It has definitely been a long tourny! Just wait until the Silver Conference!**

**Merry Christmas! Or Happy Holidays. I celebrate Christmas so it is Merry Christmas for me. We're posting three chapters up today. Check out Hazel's, and Azul's stories today!**

**Also, we're offering to put up people's stories on our profile that we find awesome! If you think you have a cool story, then give us a shout and we'll check it out! (Please only Pokemon).**


	48. Semi-Final Challenge!

"So who are you guys battling next?" Clover asked the two remaining trainers of the four.

"Some girl named Lluvy…" Trina sighed.

"Qing Yuan," Raver replied. "Sounds like a scary name… But Squirtle and Shuckle will protect me!"

"Well, you better get to your battle, Trina, you're next!" Deka said.

"And since I don't have to battle anymore, I can actually go watch you!" Heather added.

"And we'll all being cheering for you…" Free grinned.

Trina smiled and waved before she ran down the hallway.

* * *

><p>"The Whirl Cup is in the semi-finals! The end is growing near as is the search for our new 'Sea Hero!'" The announcer bellowed as Trina and Lluvy stepped into their positions.<p>

"This battle between Trina Frost from Cerulean City in the Kanto region and Lluvy Mitrecey from Icirrus City in the Unova region. She says she's been spending most of her time training in the Kanto region, however. This battle is a two-on-two water-type single battle. Pokémon may not be switched out. Whoever loses this battle will be eliminated from the Whirl Cup. No time limit… Begin!"

"Swanna!" Lluvy sent her first Pokémon out. A big, white, bird Pokémon appeared out of the light the Poké Ball projected.

"Swanna, the White Bird Pokémon and the evolved form of Ducklett. Dual water and flying. Swanna administers sharp, powerful pecks with its bill. It whips its long neck to deliver forceful repeated strikes," Free's Pokédex read.

"Vaporeon!" Trina called out her Pokémon.

"Vaporeon!" The Pokémon cried coolly, staring down her opponent.

"Swanna, air slash!" Lluvy commanded before Trina could make a move.

"Dodge it and use shadow ball!" Trina responded. Vaporeon managed to jump out of the way as Swanna dove into the hard ground. She gathered dark energy in her mouth, turned around, and hit it like a baseball towards the bird Pokémon.

"No, Swanna! Roost!" Lluvy ordered as her Pokémon took the hit. Swanna bunched up her feathers and began to sparkle and glow, healing herself.

"Try and ice beam, Vaporeon!" Trina yelled out, angry that Swanna had recovered.

"Hurricane!" Lluvy shouted as the ice beam shot towards her Pokémon.

Swanna flew a few feet off the ground and flapped her huge wings fiercely, blasting great gusts of wind towards Vaporeon's attack. Vaporeon struggled against the attack and the ice beam attack was blown back at Vaporeon, hitting her and freezing her.

"Vaporeon is unable to battle!" The referee said.

"You did your best…" Trina muttered, returning her Pokémon. "Go, Kingdra!"

"Doo…doo!" The water-dragon Pokémon cried, swimming around in the water pool.

Free already had his Pokédex ready. He figured that even if he lost, he could still learn a lot. "Kingdra, the Dragon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Seadra. Dual water and dragon type. "It is said that it usually hides in underwater caves. It can create whirlpools by yawning. It stores energy by sleeping at underwater depths at which no other life forms can survive."

"Swanna, use Wing Attack!"

Swanna flapped her wings hard and dove for Kingdra. Kingdra easily avoided it, ducking into the water and waiting for her chance to strike.

"Kingdra, take it out with dragon pulse!" Trina commanded. Before Swanna had a chance to move, Kingdra let out a fierce ripple of energy out of his body, knocking Swanna into the stadium wall.

"Swanna is unable to battle!" The referee decided.

"Swanna, return! Samurott, it's your turn!" Lluvy screeched. "Megahorn!"

"Samurott, the Formidable Pokémon, and the evolved form of Dewott. Water type. One swing of the sword incorporated in its armor can fell an opponent. A simple glare from one of them quiets everybody." Said Free's Pokédex.

Lluvy's Samurott charged full speed at Kingdra, horn forward and ready to pierce anything in his way.

"Dive!" Trina quickly shouted. Kingdra dove underneath the water before Samurott could land an attack.

"Now surface!" Trina yelled when Samurott's body was directly above where Kingdra had been. Kingdra bashed his head strongly into the other water Pokémon's stomach, knocking him back onto land.

"Shake it off!" Lluvy called to her Pokémon. Samurott shook his head and stood back up as if nothing had hit him. "Razor shell!"

Samurott pulled a sword out of a holder on his leg and charged at Kingdra, slicing at him and making heavy blows. Kingdra sank into the water, but then resurfaced quickly, but not in time for Lluvy's next command.

"Blizzard!" She screamed.

"Samu…rott!" Her Pokémon cried, opening his mouth wide and shooting a blizzard out of his mouth and into Kingdra's face. Kingdra sunk into the water once more, unable to bare the super-effective, ice-type attack. He resurfaced much later than the last time, unconscious.

"Kingdra is unable to battle! Victory goes to Lluvy!" The referee rambled.

"I guess that's it then..."Trina whispered wiping off a tear that trickled out of her eye. "Kingdra, return."

Then she slowly left the battlefield to find her friends.

* * *

><p><strong>AN One more chapter and this tournament is all over! We see that Lluvy is continuing. Do you think that she will be winning it?**

**Q1) As a reader, do you think that when you are reading Pokemon Fanfics, should they describe the Pokemon?**

**Q2) As a writer, do you think that when you are writing Pokemon Fanfics, should you describe the Pokemon?  
><strong>

**Q3) We foreshadowed for the next chapter. Can you find the foreshadow, and what do you think it foreshadows?**


	49. The Whirl Cup Finale! Raver vs Lluvy!

"Ladies and gentlemen, these are the last two trainers competing in the Whirl Cup! Both of these trainers are from the Kanto Region! Raver Sumimasen is from Cerulean City and Lluvy Mitrecey is from Iccirus City! Who will be named the new 'Sea Hero?' We're about to find out!" The announcer's voice echoed over the roaring fans, ready for the big finale.

"Can I do this?" Raver mumbled to himself, facing his opponent. Lluvy was a short girl who looked about fifteen-years-old with short, almost white-blonde hair. She smiled at him and waved with her fingers. Raver gulped.

* * *

><p>"Yeah, Raver!" Free yelled while Raver came walking down the hallway from his battle. "That girl did not stand a chance!"<p>

Raver scratched the back of his head. He looked like he could throw up at any point. "She wasn't a walk in the park though."

"I guess this means that you're moving on to the finals!" Trina said with a laugh. She was still a little bit disappointed at her loss. "You better watch out, that Lluvy is really strong. She used Pokémon I wasn't familiar with."

"I know I could've taken her!" Deka said proudly. He tried to look impressive for Trina.

"I'll be careful," Raver stated.

* * *

><p>"This battle is a two-on-two water-type single battle. Pokémon may not be switched out. Whoever wins this battle will be win the title of 'Sea Hero' and win the Whirl Cup. No time limit… Begin!" The referee announced for the last time.<p>

"Shellder! You can do it!" Raver called, tossing out his first Pokémon. Shellder landed in the water, floating up only a little bit.

"Omastar! Let's win again!" A Pokémon with a spiky, cream colored shell appeared. It had blue tentacles come from the front. "Back in ancient times, Omastar would crack Shellder's shell open and suck out its insides…" Lluvy taunted Raver.

"Don't listen to her, Shellder…" Raver whispered.

"Omastar, the Spiral Pokémon, and the evolved form of Omanyte. Dual rock and water-type. Once wrapped around its pretty, it never lets go. It eats the pretty by tearing at it with sharp fangs. Its heavy shell allowed it to reach only nearby food. This could be the reason it is extinct," the Pokédex said in its bionic voice.

"But, it isn't extinct," Free mumbled.

"It looks like she isn't using Pokémon that she used in the last round," Clover noted.

"Aurora beam!" Raver had to get past her defense.

"Rollout to dodge!" Lluvy responded.

"Of course she'd have to use rollout to dodge… Omastar went extinct because its shell was too heavy to move freely," Trina told her friends.

"Dive in the water!" Raver shouted. Shellder dove into the water and Omastar's attack missed.

"Get in the water and shell smash it!" Lluvy commanded. Omastar made his way into the water and grabbed a hold of Shellder with his tentacles, bringing the Pokémon close to his mouth.

"Clamp!" Raver ordered. Shellder clamped onto Omastar's tentacles hard, causing Omastar to loosen his grip on the Pokémon. Shellder swam away and jumped out of the water.

"Omastar, hydro pump!"

"Shellder, hydro pump!"

Both trainers made their commands at the same time. The strong water attacks collided in the middle and water sprayed all over the arena and the fans, blocking everyone's view. When the water fell, the referee could make a decision.

"Shellder and Omastar are both unable to battle!"

"Squirtle! We can still do this!" Raver cheered, returning Shellder and sending out his next Pokémon.

"Omastar, return. Take 'em out, Kabutops!" Lluvy screamed, ready for his every move.

"Kabutops, the Shellfish Pokémon, and the evolved form of Kabuto. Dual rock and water-type. In the water, it tucks in its limbs to become more compact, then it wiggles its shell to swim fast. With sharp claws, this ferocious, ancient Pokémon rips apart prey and sucks their body fluids," the Pokédex chimed.

"This isn't going to be easy… She was able to use Samurott really well. I bet that she can work really well with Kabutops," Heather commented.

"Squirtle, withdraw!" Raver told his Pokémon. Squirtle pulled everything into his shell, raising his defense greatly.

"Kabutops, mega drain!" Lluvy laughed, thinking Squirtle didn't stand a chance.

"Toxic!" Raver answered quickly to the coming attack. Squirtle let poisonous sludge ooze out of his shell, and Kabutops absorbed every bit of it.

"No!" Lluvy cried. "Give it your strongest X-Scissor! Crush that little turtle!"

"Kabu…tops!" Kabutops yelped, hurting from the poison. He pushed through the pain and slashed at Squirtle's shell, causing him to come out.

"Good, now giga drain!" Lluvy smiled.

"Aqua tail!" Raver commanded, hoping to knock Kabutops away, but Kabutops was too fast and hopped right over Squirtle's tail and absorbed all of Squirtle's health.

"That was a strong attack…" Raver moaned as Squirtle fell to the ground.

"Finish it with slash!"

Trina stood up from her seat."Watch out, Squirtle!"

As Kabutops slashed, Squirtle pushed himself into the air. He landed on Kabutops blade and laughed slightly, putting up a peace sign with his fingers. He smiled sheepishly, hoping Kabutops would take it easy.

"Water Gun!" Raver called. Hope was restored.

Squirtle took in a deep breath and blast a smooth stream of water from his mouth. Kabutops smacked into the wall behind him and then dove into the water. Kabutops jetted around, looking for the opportune time to come back up.

"Kabutops, agua jet!" Lluvy ordered.

Kabutops brought his blades to his body and shot out of the water. He bound straight for Squirtle.

"Protect!" Raver yelled desperately.

Squirtle tried to focus his energy, but it was too late. Kabutops crashed into Squirtle, sending him into the already cracked wall. Squirtle slid down the water where he lay, floating and unconscious.

"Squirtle is unable to battle!" The referee announced, ending the battle. "Lluvy Mitrecey is our new Sea Hero!"

The crowd went wild as Lluvy was given the Mystic Water pendant by Maya, the Sea Priestess.

Raver silently left the stadium, only to find his friends waiting for him outside the door.

"You were awesome out there!" Free congratulated his friend.

"Yeah! You're Pokémon are really great!" Heather added.

"She was just power and force, but you're the one with the brains!" Deka smiled.

"You did a lot better than I did," Trina said, putting a hand on Raver's shoulder.

"You did your best and that's all that matters!" Clover sighed, hugging Raver.

"Thanks…" Raver smiled. Although he lost the battle, he still had the best friends in the whole world!

* * *

><p><strong>AN I am very relieved to have finally posted this chapter. After so long, they will finally be leaving the Whirl Islands. Only a few more chapters with Trina and Raver though... Then the group will be splitting up! We decided to post this as a present for New Year's/Years! ?... Thanks for sticking around with us for these past two and a half years. We should start posting up the other chapters within the next week. I've been on vacation so posts have been slow. Also, if you get a chance check out pokestets23. Him and I may be bringing something special on his page. It'll be a JohtoBlue/Pokestets story.**

**Q1) How did you like the Whirl Cup as a whole?**

**Q2) We understand that Raver wanted to win, since he didn't, will you boycott?**

**Q3) After Chapter 60, we'll be posting up our second movie story. We need a few beta readers for it, any takers? Only accepting people who will rip it apart and try to make it good!**

**Thank you all for an awesome 2012. You are my family away from my family away from my family. See you next year!**

**JohtoBlue**


	50. The Cherrygrove Rocket Returns!

"Ahh…"Heather stretched as they stepped back onto the mainland. "I thought I was going to get sea sick riding on Lapras over those waves…"

"Me too…" Clover groaned, holding her stomach.

The water had been calm, but the fact that it still swayed the way it did was nauseating. The trainers had also been around water for the past week, so riding on Lapras had only added insult to injury. They had no Pokémon to fly on; the only option was travel by sea.

"We still have to take a boat to Cianwood, Heather!" Free said.

"Can we wait awhile? I'm not sure I can handle more sea-travel…" Heather replied.

"Alright…" Free groaned, anxious for his next badge battle.

It had been around two weeks since their battle with Jasmine. They were so close to having all eight required badges, and the battles could not come faster.

"Hey! How about all of us just hang out in Olivine for a few days!" Deka suggested, speaking to Clover, Free, Heather, Raver, and Trina.

"Yeah! I'd love to spend more time with you guys!" Trina exclaimed.

"If I wouldn't bother you guys…" Raver grinned, kicking at the sand.

"Of course not!" Heather smiled happily at her friends. "We should walk around and see what there is to do here!"

The six Pokémon trainers then set off towards the north side of town, opposite of where they had landed.

"Oh, that looks like a cool store!" Clover cried after a few minutes of walking. She was pointing at a store window with trinkets based off of Pokémon.

"Yeah!" The other five shouted in unison. Clover entered first, then Raver, Trina, Deka, Free and finally Heather.

Heather walked right into a girl who was trying to exit the store.

"Ouch! Watch where you're going you…" the girl faded out, rubbing her head where they had bumped into each other.

"Lauren?"

"Heather?"

"Oh no…" Free mumbled.

"What are you doing here?" Heather shouted angrily, ripping Totodile's Poké Ball off its necklace.

"Getting supplies. What are you doing here?" Lauren snapped, taking a Poké Ball out as well. She still wore her Team Rocket outfit. Free and Heather originally thought that it was just a phase.

"Hey, hey, hey! No battle in store. Take outside!" An old woman shouted from behind the counter. Heather and Lauren both ran out with Heather's friends following behind them.

"Ariados!" Lauren screeched, tossing her Poké Ball. Ariados popped from his ball. He stretched out all eight of his legs one by one, making Clover wince. Heather shrieked slightly, hating spiders.

"Totodile!" Heather replied. Totodile burst from his ball and did a handstand. He took one look at Lauren and Ariados, then prepared to battle.

"Ariados, give him your poison sting attack!" Lauren made the first move, pointing a finger at Totodile.

Ariados unleashed his attack, forcing many poisonous needles out of his mouth. They darted directly for Totodile.

"Jump!" Heather responded. "Mud-slap!"

When Totodile fell back to the ground, avoiding all of the needles, he kicked up mud into Ariados's face. Ariados quickly shook it out, waiting for his next command.

"Leech life," Lauren said. Ariados leaped onto Totodile and tried to bite into him.

"Bite his throat!" Heather ordered. Totodile happily bit into Lauren's Pokémon before he could bite into him. Ariados released his grip and pried Totodile's jaw open with his legs.

"That's a strong Ariados to pull open a Totodile's jaw…" Free muttered.

"Drat…" Heather muttered. "Water gun!"

Totodile opened his mouth and blasted water into Ariados's face, knocking the huge spider backwards a few feet, but not enough to really damage her.

"String shot! Wrap him up," Lauren snickered. Ariados shot sticky string out of her backside, and it tightly wrapped around Totodile. "Now, leech life!"

"Totodile!" Heather cried. "Try to get out!"

Totodile shook himself, but could not escape from the web. Ariados began to suck Totodile's health from him.

"Try anything!" Heather screamed. Totodile then took a deep breath, and exhaled an icy frost all over the web and Ariados. The string shattered from the cold, and Ariados's face froze.

"What was that?" Clover asked, astonished.

"I believe Totodile just used frost breath," Trina observed.

Free looked at them then scanned Totodile with his Pokédex. He shook his head and put it back in his pocket.

"Ariados!" Lauren shouted, but Ariados could not move. Her head was completely frozen.

"You better take her to a Pokémon Center before she gets frostbite," Heather said as she returned her Pokémon. "Totodile, you were great! Time to rest…" Totodile took a deep breath and smiled. One more attack, and he would have easily lost.

"Ariados, return…" Lauren hung her head. "This won't be the last time you'll battle me. And I won't lose next time!"

Lauren ran off crying around the store's corner and disappeared into the distance.

"So, who is she?" Trina asked.

Free sighed. "It is a long story. I'll tell you later."

* * *

><p><strong>AN Hey, guys! Been about a week since I've updated. Sorry about that... Heather and I are in two completely different states, so it makes it hard to edit. I usually don't post without her first looking at it, but I felt I needed to post. Ten more chapters until the next movie story! I believe that I have two beta readers for it so far. I do warn you, if you are a beta reader, the story is horribly written. Heather wrote this chapter originally June 8th, 2011. So, that was awhile ago.**

**Another quick note. I'd like to apologize for how the rivalries are written. We never thought that we'd be posting these, so we never though to make it really entertaining. It was all for fun. Kanto, which we will begin posting in 50 chapters, will be done better. We are making sure of that!**

**One more note. If you ever think of anything that we could do to make our writing better, put it in the review. Show us some examples so we can get better.**

**Make sure to check out our other stories, if you haven't. They are newer (written wise) and we put more thought into them for the plots.**

**Love you all! Johtof***inBlue**

**One more thing! Do you think that we should start posting Free and Heather's Pokemon's levels at the beginning? Since we're halfway done, we want to make a few changes.**


	51. Cherrygrove Chikorita

**Heather's Pokemon**

**Totodile - Ab: Torrent - Moves: Water Gun, Bite, Rage, Headbutt, and Hydro Pump (Only on occasion) Level 34**

**Flaaffy - Ab: Static - Moves: Thundershock, Charge, Thunder Bolt, and Discharge - Level 30**

**Muk - Ab: Poison Touch - Moves: Sludge, Fire Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Sludge Bomb - Level 20**

**Jolteon - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thundershock, Pin Missile, Sand-Attack, and Double Kick - Level 28**

**Misdreavus - Ab: Levitate - Moves: Shadow Ball, Psywave, Perish Song, and Pain Split - Level 26**

**Girafarig - Ab: Sap Sipper - Moves: Shadow Ball, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, and Energy Ball - Level 27**

**Chinchou - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Zap Cannon, Water Pulse – Level 32**

**Chapter 51**

"Do you hear that?" Deka asked after the trainers went around into a few more stores.

"Yeah! It sounds like a Pokémon battle!" Free exclaimed. "Let's go check it out, Chikorita!"

"Chika!" His Pokémon cried, following close behind him as they followed the sound of the shouting trainers' voices.

After their little battle with Lauren, the trainers had visited the rest of the stores throughout Olivine. They were most antique shops that featured items made out of steel. This was probably because of Jasmine's steel-types.

"Chikorita, vine whip!" A skinny, blonde, boy shouted.

"Growlithe, dodge!" Another boy commanded. Growlithe tried to jump out of the way, but the blonde boy's Chikorita's vines grabbed hold fast.

"Yeah! That's how to do it!" The blonde boy shouted as Chikorita began lifting Growlithe and slamming him into the grass.

"Chika!" A male Chikorita cried.

"Chika…" Free's Chikorita cooed dreamily.

"Toto?" Heather's Totodile popped out of his ball to watch the battle and noticed Chikorita watching the blonde boy's Chikorita. He sat on the ground and pouted.

"Stop! Don't hurt my Growlithe, Kageon!" The other boy shouted, picking up his Pokémon.

"Aw… I just wanted to battle…" The blonde boy muttered, kicking at the ground.

"I'll battle you!" Deka shouted from a few feet away. The boys hadn't noticed the six trainers standing all together watching the battle.

"Alright! My name is…" the boy trailed off. "Free?"

"K-Kageon?" Free stuttered. "I haven't seen you in awhile!"

"Yeah, not for a long time!" Kageon wore baggy cargo shorts and a zip-up jacket that was red on one side and white on the other.

"You two know each other?" Trina asked, scratching her head in confusion.

"Kind of… We're both from Cherrygrove!" Free smiled. "It's our Chikorita's that knew each other. They were friends!"

"Yeah, I bet they've missed each other…" Kageon grinned and turned to Deka. "So you want to battle? Okay! I'm going to go with Chikorita again."

"Ivysaur, I choose you!" Deka cried, throwing a Poké Ball.

"Ivysaur…" The Pokémon sighed, glad to get some fresh air.

"Razor leaf," Deka told his Pokémon. Ivysaur shot out a flurry of razor sharp leaves at Kageon's Chikorita.

"Vine whip!" Kageon responded. Chikorita's vines began to knock away the leaves with ease.

"Wow, his Chikorita is good!" Free commented. Chikorita sighed happily again. Totodile growled.

"Now, show him up with your vine whip!" Kageon commanded. Chikorita picked up Ivysaur with his vines and threw him several feet back into a tree.

"Ivysaur, get up!" Deka cried. Ivysaur couldn't move though.

"You can send out another Pokémon. I'll battle that one too!" Kageon said.

"Fine. Ivysaur, return," Deka muttered. "Go, Scyther!"

"Scyther!" The Pokémon growled angrily, staring down Chikorita who showed no fear.

"Scyther, aerial ace!" Deka got the first attack in. At blinding speed, Scyther rose into the air and slashed at Chikorita, seriously damaging it.

"Chika!" Free's Chikorita cried out.

"Chika…" Kageon's Chikorita snarled, already ready for his next command.

"Razor leaf!" Kageon shouted. Chikorita unleashed a storm of leaves cutting into every inch of Scyther's body.

"Wow! That was a critical hit!" Heather gasped.

"Scyther…" Deka whined, walking over to his fainted Pokémon. "It's okay, buddy. You did your best…"

"Ha! I won again!" Kageon cheered, his Chikorita happily jumping into his arms as he spun around and hugged him.

"Wow, your Chikorita is really strong," Free picked up his Chikorita and walked over to Kageon. "He's like Heather's Totodile. They both pick off on Pokémon at a time with all the power they contain!"

"Toto…dile…" Totodile grumbled, glaring at Kageon and his Pokémon.

"What's wrong Totodile?" Heather asked, picking up her Pokémon. She looked to where he was glaring and she understood.

"Oh… you want to battle Kageon's Chikorita…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN Looks like there will be another member added to their little group! Don't worry, they won't all be traveling together. It'll soon go back to the original four.**

**If you haven't got a chance yet, go onto PokeStets23's page and read his stories. Me and him have been working on a story together that goes by Twins of the West Star. It is one of my better works, and I'd like you to check it out.**

**Also, thanks to all of our new readers! Over the past month we've gained over three, which is a lot to me!**


	52. Heather vs Kageon

**Heather's Pokemon**

**Totodile - Ab: Torrent - Moves: Water Gun, Frost Breath, Rage, Headbutt, and Hydro Pump (Only on occasion) Level 34**

**Flaaffy - Ab: Static - Moves: Thundershock, Charge, Thunder Bolt, and Discharge - Level 30**

**Muk - Ab: Sticky Hold - Moves: Sludge, Fire Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Sludge Bomb - Level 20**

**Jolteon - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thundershock, Pin Missile, Sand-Attack, and Double Kick - Level 28**

**Misdreavus - Ab: Levitate - Moves: Shadow Ball, Psywave, Perish Song, and Pain Split - Level 26**

**Girafarig - Ab: Sap Sipper - Moves: Shadow Ball, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, and Energy Ball - Level 27**

**Chinchou - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Zap Cannon, Water Pulse – Level 32**

**Chapter 52 - Heather vs. Kageon**

"Kageon?" Heather said, still holding Totodile and walking over to the Pokémon trainer.

"Um, yeah?" Kageon replied, turning to the two.

"Could my Totodile battle your Chikorita?" She asked. Totodile nodded furiously.

"Sure! Just not tonight. Chikorita is worn out…" Kageon grinned. "He's a tough one. Once we rest up at the Pokémon Center we'll battle. How about right here tomorrow morning at ten?"

"Sounds great!" Heather smiled, trying to quiet her Totodile who was growling softly at Chikorita. The two stared angrily at each other. Squirming in Heather's arms, Totodile almost slipped from Heather's grasp

"Is your Pokémon alright?" Kageon tilted his head.

"Yeah, he's fine. He just really wants to battle right now!" Heather giggled nervously, trying to keep a hold of her Pokémon.

"It's getting dark," Raver said quietly. "We should find the Pokémon Center."

* * *

><p>At the Pokémon Center, the group split up. Girls got one room, while the boys shared another. Kageon and Free caught up as much as they could, while Heather, Clover, and Trina shared stories about their travels.<p>

"So, you've spent all of this time training your Chikorita? Are you entering the Silver Conference?" Free asked.

"I already have five badges! I'll be challenging Jasmine in awhile," Kageon explained, showcasing his gym badges. "How about you, Raver? Are you entering the Silver Conference?"

Raver nodded and smiled sheepishly. "I've got a few more badges to collect… But I'm well on my way…"

"And how many badges do you have?" Kageon asked Free.

Free grinned and pulled his shirt sleeve up, revealing six badges. "It looks like I'm upping you by one!"

"Will you all shut up? I'm trying to sleep!" Deka snapped.

* * *

><p>The next morning Heather and Totodile headed out to the field a little earlier than the rest of her friends. She wanted to talk to him alone for a little bit before his fight.<p>

"You want to impress Free's Chikorita, don't you?" Heather asked, holding Totodile on her lap. Totodile gently nodded and then looked away.

"Are you scared? I mean, that Chikorita is strong. It took out another grass type and a bug type, which should have had a type advantage! And water Pokémon aren't strong against grass-types…" Heather sighed. Totodile shook his head.

"Oh, I know you aren't scared. I just don't want you to get hurt!" Heather hugged her Pokémon close. Totodile blushed and shook his head.

"What are you planning…?" Heather wondered aloud.

"You're early!" A voice rang from behind a tree as Kageon stepped into the field where he had been battling the day before.

"Oh! Hi, Kageon," Heather replied. "Totodile was anxious and wanted to get out early."

"That's fine. We'll start this battle now then."

"Actually, could we wait for Free to get here?" Heather said quickly.

"Oh, alright," Kageon sighed. The two waited in silence for ten minutes until Free, Clover, Deka, Raver, and Trina all showed up.

"Okay, let's battle!" Heather said as soon as her friends all took a seat in the grass. Chikorita was nestled in Free's lap, watching the two trainers intensely.

"Chikorita, get out there!" Kageon said, throwing a Poké Ball.

"Totodile…" Heather whispered, releasing Totodile from her grip. He rushed up to meet Chikorita.

"Vine whip!" Kageon said quickly, catching Heather and Totodile by surprise.

"Bite the vines!" Heather exclaimed as Chikorita began to lift Totodile to throw him. Totodile began to gnaw on the vines, but Chikorita merely grunted and pushed through the pain. He tossed Totodile back, but Totodile caught himself in midair and landed neatly on his feet.

"Chika!" Free's Chikorita cheered. Totodile blushed and scratched his head.

"Don't get distracted, Totodile!" Heather shouted at the same time Kageon commanded another vine whip from Chikorita.

"Squeeze him!" Kageon laughed.

"No!" Heather cried. "Frost breath!"

Totodile's mouth opened wide, frosty breath spewing from his mouth. But, instead of blowing it on the vines, he crunched down hard on them.

"That's an ice fang attack…" Heather muttered happily.

"Chika!" Kageon's Chikorita cried in pain, immediately withdrawing his vines.

"Razor leaf!" Kageon instantly ordered. Chikorita released the gale of leaves he had shown Deka's Scyther once more.

"Frost breath! Blow 'em back!" Heather shouted. Totodile took a deep breath and blew at the leaves, freezing them all and reversing their direction.

Now, the razor-sharp _frozen_ leaves launched themselves back at Kageon's Chikorita, knocking it on the ground and out. The icy leaves seemed to take on the power of an ice-type attack.

"No!" Kageon cried out, rushing to Chikorita's side.

"Chi…ka…" the Pokémon moaned as Free's Chikorita bounded over to Heather's Totodile and nuzzled against him.

"You did it, Totodile!" Heather cheered, knowing Totodile had won more than just one battle.

* * *

><p><strong>AN I know that this story is only halfway done, but just so you know, we're wrapping up first drafts! Heather had been missing a laptop for the past few months and hasn't been able to write. She just received a new laptop today and is currently writing a new chapter! We are on Chapter 85, and should be done writing first drafts within the next month. We're still contemplating how Kanto will go.**

**Q1) Ask us a question!**


	53. Story Time with Friends

**Free's Pokémon**

**Chikorita - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Vine Whip, Body Slam and Solarbeam (Only on occasion) - Level 38**

**Wooper - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Mud-Slap, Yawn, and Iron Tail - Level 29**

**Quilava - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Flame Wheel, Rollout, Flamethrower, and Smokescreen - Level 32**

**Umbreon - Ab: Synchonize - Moves: Dark Pulse, Quick Attack, Bite, and Shadow Ball - Level 28**

**Heracross - Ab: Moxie - Moves: Horn Attack, Aerial Ace, Brick Break, and Endure - Level 30**

**Teddiursa - Ab: Guts - Moves: Fury Swipes, Protect, Brick Break, and Slash - Level 29**

***With Elm***

**Poliwhirl - Ab: Damp - Moves: Dynamicpunch, Water Gun, Bubblebeam, and Hypnosis – Level 33**

**Chapter 53 – Story Time with Friends**

* * *

><p>"This is great, guys!" Trina exclaimed as Kageon and Free threw more wood onto the bonfire the seven trainers had built on Olivine's beach. Heather, Trina, and Clover were all sitting on a large, curved piece of driftwood. Deka sat on a rock next to Clover.<p>

Free dusted some dirt off his hands from picking up the fire wood and took a seat next to Heather, gazing into the blazing fire. Kageon sat next to him. Raver lay on his side on the opposing side of the fire.

All of the trainers' Pokémon ran happily around the beach, playing with one another except Totodile and Free's Chikorita, who were cuddled up near the fire, Bagon and Quilava who lounged about the fire away from the trainers and each other, Swablu who was nesting sleepily on top of Clover's head, and Umbreon, Espeon, Torchic and Shuckle slept happily by their trainers' feet.

The water Pokémon, Vaporeon, Kingdra, Octillery, Lapras, Squirtle, Shellder, Poliwag, and especially Wooper, splashed happily in the ocean with Trina's other Pokémon, Psyduck. Muk tried to join them, but instead got sprayed with water until the stench was bearable. Heracross, Beedrill, Scyther, and Noctowl flitted happily through the trees searching for food. Teddiursa, Girafarig, and Misdreavus were plotting pranks and drawing in the sand. Ivysaur and Kageon's Chikorita seemed to be having a sword fight with their vines while Flaaffy and Jolteon were playing an electric spark tag.

"So how did you catch your Bagon, Clover? I heard they're really, really rare—even in Hoenn!" Kageon exclaimed.

"It's really not that exciting of a story," Clover tilted her head. "See, I started my journey early by traveling with my older cousin, Ryoku. He gets lonely when he's alone, so my dad arranged for me to keep him company! He always did like me better than Deka." Deka spat into the sand. "Anyways, we were traveling the land and eventually we came to this big cave called Meteor Falls. He said there were lots of mysterious Pokémon there he wanted to learn about. So, he took me in it! There was this really pretty waterfall there. It was enormous! He took me to a wall that almost had stairs made out of rocks and he had me climb it with him. Eventually we got to top and the waterfall was being fed by a river that came from another waterfall coming from even higher up!"

"What does any of this have to do with Bagon?" Kageon said. Clover shushed him.

"Well you see, up by this river was Bagon. I noticed him first. He was hurt really bad. His arm was broken. Ryoku noticed a cliff nearby and assumed he must have fallen off of it. So, I carried him to the Pokémon Center and Nurse Joy fixed him all up! After that, Bagon wanted to come with me," Clover smiled at Bagon, who grinned a little back at her from across the fire.

"Aw, that's so nice!" Trina sighed. "That a great thing you did, Clover."

"It's not like I could have just left him there…" Clover replied. Bagon came over and sat by her feet. "I did the same for little Swablu too!"

"That's kind of how we met Mareep," Heather said. She told the story about how they had found Mareep injured and explained how it had been done by the trainer named Spade and told Trina and Raver to look out for him.

"He even stole a Chimchar from Professor Elm!" Free shouted angrily. "That poor Pokémon…"

"There are bad trainers in this world," Deka agreed sadly.

"But maybe that Chimchar is doing fine…" Raver added quietly.

"How about you, Kageon?" Clover asked. "You've only revealed Chikorita to us. Do you have any other Pokémon? And how did you get Chikorita?"

Kageon nodded. "You see, I'm a little bit behind on capturing Pokémon. I usually only carry Chikorita with me. All of my other Pokémon stay with Professor Elm. I call upon them when needed. It's an odd method, I know."

"How about Chikorita? You said that he knows Free's Chikorita," Trina pursued.

"Well, before I turned ten, I saw Free and his Chikorita playing with each other a lot. They were constantly training in their front yard, and I wanted that same bond with my Pokémon when I got one. The day that I was able to receive my first Pokémon, I chose Chikorita. I finally introduced myself to Free, and our Pokémon hit it off pretty well. Because Free was waiting for Heather to turn ten, I got a head start on my journey. I've been taking it easy though!" Kageon laughed.

Deka yawned. "Wasn't as exciting as I was hoping… You all want to hear about how I got Scyther?"

The trainers shook their heads and laughed. Deka huffed and folded his arms.

"I remember you telling me that Shellder was your first Pokémon, Raver. Is there some exciting story about how you got him?" Free asked.

Raver frowned. His eyes looked saddened for a moment. "I received Shellder from my older brother years ago… There is nothing too special about it…"

The group remained silent. There was something off about Raver that none of them could pinpoint.

"I have a story!" Trina exclaimed, raising one hand and breaking the silence.

"Go for it," Deka murmured. He was very tired, but wanted to stay up for everyone, especially Trina.

"When I started my journey, I couldn't get to Professor Oak's house to get a Pokémon because I lived in Cerulean City. One day, I was out walking up the bridge that leads out to the north of Cerulean and I saw this guy playing with a bunch of Eevee. They were so cute, and so I watched them. After awhile he noticed me and invited me over. He asked me if I had any Pokémon and I said no. Then, he asked if I liked his Eevee. I nodded my head as one of them came up and rubbed her head on my leg. It was the cutest thing ever! The guy introduced himself as Bill, a Pokémon Researcher, and said he would give me and Eevee so I could help him research. I agreed because the Eevee was so cute and I couldn't get a Pokémon any other way. So, that is how I met my Eevee! Who I later evolved into Vaporeon after Bill gave me a water stone when saw me playing with Horsea, who is now Kingdra!"

"I love water-Pokémon too," Raver smiled at Trina shyly. She smiled at him. Deka looked between them, pouting.

"Hey Free, you started your journey a couple of months after you turned ten, right? Why is that?" Raver asked, trying to avoid Trina's gaze.

"Heather is my best friend! I couldn't leave without her," Free crossed his arms. Heather smiled. "We like to eat French toast together!"

"I love French toast!" Everyone shouted. Then, they all laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Just a relaxing chapter. It is nice to take a break from their hectic journey. You also get to see more of the other trainers! I kind of have felt that Deka and Clover haven't got a lot of show in this story. Deka's is kind of on purpose. (He's kind of depressed. It's a long way away, but he'll get to shine. Check my page for hints!)**

**Q1) Who, out of the new characters introduced (Raver, Trina, and Kageon), would you like to see face off against Free or Heather?**

**Q2) What has been your favorite moment in this story thus far?**


	54. Farewell, Friends! Hello, Team Rocket!

**Free's Pokémon**

**Chikorita - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Vine Whip, Body Slam and Solarbeam (Only on occasion) - Level 39**

**Wooper - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Mud-Slap, Yawn, and Iron Tail - Level 29**

**Quilava - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Flame Wheel, Rollout, Flamethrower, and Smokescreen - Level 33**

**Umbreon - Ab: Synchonize - Moves: Dark Pulse, Quick Attack, Bite, and Shadow Ball - Level 28**

**Heracross - Ab: Moxie - Moves: Horn Attack, Aerial Ace, Brick Break, and Endure - Level 31**

**Teddiursa - Ab: Guts - Moves: Fury Swipes, Protect, Brick Break, and Slash - Level 29**

***With Elm***

**Poliwhirl - Ab: Damp - Moves: Dynamicpunch, Water Gun, Bubblebeam, and Hypnosis – Level 34**

**Chapter 54 – Farewell, Friends! Hello, Team Rocket!**

The seven trainers woke late on the beach. Their fire had gone out and the Pokémon had all huddled around their trainers to sleep.

Raver was the first one to wake at sunrise. He shook his Pokémon to wake them first and returned them to their Poké Balls before waking the other trainers.

"I'm sorry guys, but I have to get going," Raver muttered.

"It was nice meeting you!" Heather replied sadly.

"Aw… you're leaving?" Free groaned.

"I'm sorry," Raver mumbled again.

"We'll see you again someday, right?" Deka asked, hoping to cheer the others up.

"Of course!" Raver replied. "But I have a lot of adventures to go on with my Pokémon."

"We understand," Clover and Trina said at the same time.

"Bye, Raver!" Kageon called as Raver smiled and turned around to head off to his next destination.

"Actually… I was planning on separating today, too," Trina shook her head. "Sorry."

"Trina…" Deka swooned, holding his hand out to the girl. She ignored it and glanced at Kageon has he began to speak.

"And I have a lot more training to do," Kageon grinned, patting Totodile's head, who snapped lightly at his fingers. He pulled them away quickly.

"I hate goodbyes!" Clover cried, hugging her brother's arm.

"Well, see you!" Trina called as she and Kageon walked back into town.

"Well now what?" Deka sighed, poking at the dead fire logs, knocking ash off the burnt wood.

Suddenly, there was a large creaking sound in the woods. Leaves rustled and branches snapped, and a tree fell to the ground. A boy with long red hair hopped over the trunk with a Monferno.

"Spade…" Free growled. His Pokémon stood behind him, snarling at Monferno.

"What are you guys doing here!?" Spade looked surprised for a second, and then regained his composure.

"Camping out," Heather replied, coldly.

"How many badges have you guys got?" Spade asked randomly.

"Five," Free grinned, showing them off.

"Seven," Spade sneered, showing his. Free's smile faded.

"Badges mean nothing other than you got there faster," Free replied. "I'm still the better trainer."

"We'll see about that. How about a battle? How about a one on one; Monferno and that weak, leafy thing?"

"Chikorita is not weak! Although she does have a leaf…" Free shouted. "Chikorita! Vine whip!"

"Monferno, ember!" Spade commanded. Monferno released his fire, scorching Chikorita's vines. She instantly pulled them back as they burned. "Now, mach punch!"

Monferno's fist was fast; too fast for Chikorita to avoid. It hit her dead on, knocking her down in the sand, but in close range.

"Chikorita, vine whip!" Free shouted once more. Chikorita grabbed Monferno and squeezed tightly. Monferno screamed and Chikorita wrapped a vine around his mouth, muffling him.

"Get out of there!" Spade barked. Monferno struggled harder.

"Mega drain!" Free grinned, having the upper edge of the battle.

"Who is that?" Spade asked out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Free said.

"Over there!" Spade pointed towards the lighthouse which was farther down the beach.

"I'm not falling for that," Free shook his head.

"It's Lauren!" Heather shouted.

"It looks like she's in a Team Rocket outfit!" Deka added.

"Chikorita, stop!" Free ordered. Chikorita ran to his side.

"She can't be up to anything good if she's in Team Rocket," Spade grumbled. The four trainers looked at him strangely, convinced that someone like him would be for Team Rocket.

"We have to stop her from whatever she could be doing!" Clover said. The four trainers began to run down the beach.

"I'm going with you guys," Spade stated, running after them.

The four trainers stared back strangely at him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Short chapter week! Thinking about making up for it by posting up a Hazel chapter... If I have enough time, I will.**

**So, it looks like Spade has returned! No Abby though. Heather wrote this chapter before I even got the OC for Abby, so when I had to write this part in Spade's story, she is busy doing other stuff.**

**A/N 2 I will be upping the levels on each of the Pokemon every chapter. Sometimes by one level. But they will usually train between each chapter.**


	55. Rocket in the Lighthouse

**Free's Pokémon**

**Chikorita - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Vine Whip, Body Slam and Solarbeam (Only on occasion) - Level 40**

**Wooper - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Mud-Slap, Yawn, and Iron Tail - Level 29**

**Quilava - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Flame Wheel, Rollout, Flamethrower, and Smokescreen - Level 33**

**Umbreon - Ab: Synchonize - Moves: Dark Pulse, Quick Attack, Bite, and Shadow Ball - Level 28**

**Heracross - Ab: Moxie - Moves: Horn Attack, Aerial Ace, Brick Break, and Endure - Level 31**

**Teddiursa - Ab: Guts - Moves: Fury Swipes, Protect, Brick Break, and Slash - Level 29**

***With Elm***

**Poliwhirl - Ab: Damp - Moves: Dynamicpunch, Water Gun, Bubblebeam, and Hypnosis – Level 34**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 55 – Rocket in the Lighthouse<strong>

* * *

><p>"Let us in!" Free pounded on the locked door of the lighthouse. They could hear Amphy crying in pain from the top.<p>

"Don't give us away… Monferno, melt a hole in this door!" Spade commanded, pointing at the metal door. Monferno looked delighted as he blast a ball of fire onto the door, starting to create a glowing-metal hole.

"Help him out, Torchic!" Clover added, throwing her Poké Ball.

When the hole was big enough, Spade turned to Heather. "Cool it down."

"Totodile, water gun!" Heather said, releasing Totodile from his ball. He blasted water around the hole, steam rising. When the door was cool, Spade made his move.

"Let's go now," Spade dove through the hole along with Monferno. There were some scrambling noises and screams from the other side of the door, and then Spade unlocked the lighthouse door, dangling the keys in front of the other trainers' faces. Free, Heather, Deka, and Clover all made their way in.

They didn't see any Rockets on the first floor besides the ones Spade and Monferno had knocked out, so they hurried up to the second floor, where Heather and Free ran into a familiar face.

"Why you little brats!" Jada, one of the Team Rocket members that had tried to steal Mr. Pokémon's stuff, screeched at the two as she threw a Poké Ball. "Gloom, razor leaf!"

"Gloom…" Gloom sighed as she was released from her Poké Ball in front of the trainers. She gathered her strength and shot the leaves at the trainers.

"Chikorita, vine whip them away!" Free shouted quickly. Chikorita began to swat and swipe and the approaching leaves, defending the trainers.

"Totodile, ice fang!" Heather commanded. Totodile ran underneath the falling leaves and bit onto Gloom's arm, freezing it slowly. The ice spread and soon Gloom was frozen solid.

"Monferno, flamethrower!" Spade shouted. The flames scorched Jada, and she tried to grab Gloom.

Deka released Ivysaur from his Poké Ball. "Grab Gloom, and throw it!"

Ivysaur wrapped his vines around the frozen Pokémon and threw it at Jada, hitting her forehead and knocking her out.

"Let's go!" Deka shouted as he and Ivysaur began to make their way up the stairs.

They battled their way through the next few floors before they could reach the top where they found Amphy hooked to a machine that seemed to be taking his electrical power. Working the machine was Lauren.

"Well, well, well…" Lauren sneered at the five trainers. "Free. Heather. And you other three…"

"Release Amphy!" Heather cried out. She tossed Jolteon's Poké Ball to the ground. "Pin missile!"

"Jolt, Jolt!" Jolteon replied, hunching his spike back and shooting prickly missiles at Lauren and the machine, causing it to smoke.

"No! You'll break it!" Lauren screamed. "Ariados, stop them!"

The great spider scurried across the room to where the trainers where and began to spin a web, surrounding them.

"Quilava, burn it up!" Free called out his Pokémon. Quilava looked around angrily before igniting the flames on his back and blasting a gust of fire out, scorching the webs and Ariados.

"You can't beat us!" Clover yelled bravely. "Bagon, headbutt the machine!"

Clover's dragon Pokémon popped out and bent over, charging at the machine. It could not take the force, and Bagon sent it flying on to the wall, all connection with Amphy ceasing. The electric Pokémon crumpled to the ground.

"Leave this place, Team Rocket!" Spade roared, and Lauren scampered down the stairs with her Pokémon.

Before she was out of earshot, she had one thing to say. "It doesn't matter if you broke the machine! We already got all the power we needed for the Radio Tower operation!"

Heather ran to the side of Amphy and gave him a Potion. Amphy smiled up at her, healing slowly, recognition showing in his face.

"That's right, Amphy. We're just here to help again," Heather smoothed the short, static-filled fur on Amphy's head.

"What do you think she meant by having all the power they needed?" Free wondered aloud.

"We'll find out soon enough," Spade grunted as he turned to walk alone down the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>AN So, Heather is already on Chapter 5 of the Kanto! If anybody wants a preview, go ahead and PM me. It's very impressive compared to her older writings. In addition, we may be updating the first chapter of this story to be really nice. Not sure yet. But maybe!**

**A/N 2 They battled Team Rocket in this chapter. I believe there will be one more small Team Rocket deal in Johto. Then the real Team Rocket story takes place mostly in Kanto.**

**Q1) Where do you see Team Rocket's last stand being?**


	56. And They're Off!

**Heather's Pokémon**

**Totodile - Ab: Torrent - Moves: Water Gun, Frost Breath, Rage, Headbutt, and Hydro Pump (Only on occasion) Level 38**

**Flaaffy - Ab: Static - Moves: Thundershock, Charge, Thunder Bolt, and Discharge - Level 37**

**Muk - Ab: Sticky Hold - Moves: Sludge, Fire Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Sludge Bomb - Level 24**

**Jolteon - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thundershock, Pin Missile, Sand-Attack, and Double Kick - Level 31**

**Misdreavus - Ab: Levitate - Moves: Shadow Ball, Psywave, Perish Song, and Pain Split - Level 29**

**Girafarig - Ab: Sap Sipper - Moves: Shadow Ball, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, and Energy Ball - Level 30**

**Chinchou - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Zap Cannon, Water Pulse – Level 34**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 56 – And They're Off!<strong>

* * *

><p>"Hey, Spade, wait up!" Free yelled as the trainers stepped back onto the beach.<p>

"What do you want?" Spade groaned, turning to face him.

"We never got to finish our battle. And you can't have your trainer card back until you beat me!" Free shouted, waving Spade's trainer card in front of him.

"Oh, really?" Spade smirked. He took a step towards Free and pushed him down, the trainer card slipping from his fingers. Spade grabbed it and ran as Free got up and dusted himself off.

"What's that guy's problem?" A girl's voice asked from behind the four. Heather, Free, Deka, and Clover turned around to face the girl. They looked at her, her purple-pink hair, and the Mudkip that sat next to her feet blankly.

"My name is Brogan. I just finished taking Mudkip for a swim, and I saw what happened!" Brogan introduced herself.

"Hi! I'm Heather. And this is Free. He's my best friend! And this is Deka and his sister, Clover," Heather replied, pointing to her friends.

"I like Mudkips!" Brogan stated. "Do you like Mudkips?"

"Your Mudkip is so cute!" Clover squealed.

"I train with him and my other Pokémon hard every day!" Brogan boasted.

"So if you're a trainer, are you taking the gym challenge?" Free asked.

"Yeah! I just got the Olivine gym badge earlier. I need to get on the boat to Cianwood, though," Brogan flashed her new badge that was clipped to the black cardigan she wore.

"Free! We almost forgot! We need to go there before the boat leaves!" Heather exclaimed.

"Don't worry. It doesn't leave for another ten minutes. We have just enough time to get there. I checked before I came here," Brogan reassured the two anxious trainers, pulling out a PokéGear and looking at its screen. "But we should get going soon if we want to make it…"

"You have a PokéGear too?" Heather asked, pulling out her own.

"Yeah! We should register each other's numbers!" Brogan replied. They exchanged PokéGear's and typed in their numbers. The trainers then began to head towards the boat docks.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Brogan asked Heather as Deka and Free stood in line for tickets while Brogan, Heather, and Clover stood back and waited on a bench.

"Did you ever go to Pokémon Camp in Newbark Town?" Heather asked, thinking about another girl she had met there named Brogan.

"Yes! Oh my gosh! You're THAT Heather?!" Brogan replied.

"You two know each other?" Clover asked.

"Yeah! We made a Hoothoot puppet together," Brogan smiled as she remembered.

"Hey, guys! Free and I got the tickets…" Deka said, handing out the tickets to Cianwood. "Let's get on that boat!"

"I've never been on a boat this big," Heather squirmed uneasily.

"It'll be better than riding on Lapras!" Free laughed, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Boats are fine," Brogan added.

"Well, there was this one time on the way to Hoenn to visit my other parent that my boat had to take on a really bad storm. We almost sank!" Deka said, trying to scare Heather. Clover punched his arm, making Swablu squawk loudly on her head, and he groaned in pain. "This boat will be fine, though…"

"Yay! We're going!" Clover shouted after awhile when the boat began to leave.

"Chika!" Chikorita called, standing on the edge of the boat only being held back by the railing. She was excited to be out on the water again.

"Mudkip, Mud!" Brogan's Mudkip ran happily around the ship, peering over the railing at the seawater.

"I bet Totodile would love to see this!" Heather said, releasing her Pokémon, who danced around happily.

"And Wooper, too! Go, Wooper!" Free said.

"Woopa?" The small blue Pokémon questioned. He looked off the side of the boat into the water and ran towards the edge.

"Wooper, no!" Free shouted.

"Woopa!" Wooper replied, trying but failing to make it over the railing. Free scooped up the helpless Pokémon. Wooper looked around, as if confused of how he got up so high.

"Silly Wooper…" Free muttered.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Sorry we didn't post on Wednesday. It's been a very hectic week! Here's a transition chapter! The next two chapters will be more eventful, involving an evolution and a capture!**

**Till next time, JohtoBlue**


	57. Battling Aboard!

**Heather's Pokémon**

**Totodile - Ab: Torrent - Moves: Water Gun, Frost Breath, Rage, Headbutt, and Hydro Pump (Only on occasion) Level 39**

**Flaaffy - Ab: Static - Moves: Thundershock, Charge, Thunder Bolt, and Discharge - Level 38**

**Muk - Ab: Sticky Hold - Moves: Sludge, Fire Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Sludge Bomb - Level 26**

**Jolteon - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thundershock, Pin Missile, Sand-Attack, and Double Kick - Level 32**

**Misdreavus - Ab: Levitate - Moves: Shadow Ball, Psywave, Perish Song, and Pain Split - Level 31**

**Girafarig - Ab: Sap Sipper - Moves: Shadow Ball, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, and Energy Ball - Level 31**

**With Elm:**

**Chinchou - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Zap Cannon, Water Pulse – Level 34**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 57 – Battling Aboard!<br>**

* * *

><p>"So what do we do until we get to Cianwood?" Free asked.<p>

"There are plenty of other trainers on board of these things," Deka replied. "Or at least there was on our way to Johto. Right, Clover?"

"Yeah, but you were too scared you'd get your butt kicked to battle them!" Clover giggled. Deka glared at her.

"I like battles," Heather and Brogan announced at the same time.

"Whoa. It's like you two can read each other's mind!" Free said, easily amazed.

"Let's go look for battles!" Clover squealed. "I think even I might like to battle today!"

"You'd like to battle, huh?" A skinny teenage boy, around fourteen, with messy, blonde hair said from behind the trainers. He wore dark jeans and a bright green t-shirt and was holding a Poké Ball out to Clover . He looked determined. She gulped.

"Th-that's right!" Clover replied, stumbling over her words.

"Hey, don't look so scared!" The boy's face lightened up and he smiled down at Clover who was two feet shorter than him. "I'm Track. I'll tell you what. If you can beat me in a one on one battle, I'll give you a prize! And if I win, it'll just be good experience for you."

Clover sighed in relief, "Okay, Track. That sounds like a fair deal! I'll do my best!" Clover blushed as she stared admiringly up at Track.

"Scyther. Let's go," Track tossed down his Poké Ball.

"Cool! He has a Scyther too!" Deka shouted. "But, of course, mine is better…"

"Torchic! This is all you!" Clover giggled.

"Take it easy on her, Scyther," Track muttered almost silently to his Pokémon.

"Ember!" Clover ordered. Torchic skipped happily before opening her beak and shooting the bullet-like blasts of fire towards her opponent.

"Dodge, Scyther!" Track responded quickly. Scyther jumped back, barely allowing Torchic's ember skim his feet.

"Good job, Torchic! Peck!" Clover commanded.

"Whoo! Doin' good, Clover!" Brogan cheered.

"Double team!" Track shouted. Scyther cried out before a dozen images appeared around Torchic.

"Uh oh, Torchic. This one will be tricky!" Clover groaned. "But we know how to deal with this! Fire spin!"

Torchic took a deep breath before exhaling a spiral of flames that engulfed Scyther's doubles.

"No! Scyther!" Track cried in mock astonishment. "Return!"

"Yay, yay! I won!" Clover cheered. Torchic jumped happily into Clover's arms and chirped.

"You won! Fair and square," Track said, placing a hand on Clover's shoulder. She fluttered her eyelashes at him and grinned.

"What's my prize!?" Clover half-shouted.

"Hmmm…" Track paused to think. "I've got it!"

Track began to fumble around the brown backpack that he kept slung over one shoulder. After a few seconds, he pulled out a Poké Ball.

"You're giving me a Pokémon?" Clover asked.

"Yeah. I caught this little guy awhile ago, but she's just not my type of partner. I've been looking for a good trainer who will take care of her, though, and I think you'll be great for her," Track replied, placing the ball in Clover's outstretched hand.

"Thank you, Track!" Clover smiled giddily. She released the Pokémon from its ball.

"Oddish, Oddish!" The Pokémon cried joyfully.

"Aww, aren't you a cutie!" Clover picked up the Pokémon with the arm that wasn't holding Torchic. "We're all going to be great friends and play with each other every day and build tree houses together and bake cookies and play mean tricks on Deka and…"

"Well, I have to be going, guys," Track interrupted Clover. "I have to find my little sister. She ran off on me awhile ago. She should have gotten tired by now and will be looking for me anyways."

"Good bye, Track!" Clover shouted after him as he turned to leave.

"Bye!"

"Nice meeting you!" Everyone else called.

Track turned back and waved.

"It's a small world. I'm sure you guys will see me again!"

* * *

><p>AN - Hello! This is Heather today. I don't usually do these post... things, but I am today! We're on Chapter 57, so that means we're about two chapters away from gym battles. Flaaffy gets some action next chapter, which makes me smile because I love my Flaaffy! I've started writing Kanto. I'm about 20% done with it, actually. It's much better than this-my writing has improved greatly over the past two years (when I wrote this chapter, probably). SO STICK AROUND! Please?

Q1 - Anyone want to guess what Free and Heather's favorite Pokemon are?  
>Q2 - Anything you guys want to see in Kanto?<br>Q3 - What kind of music helps you write? Mine is... Hands Like Houses; random Pokemon, Fullmetal Alchemist, Pirates of the Caribbean, and other classical songs I know from being in band and choir; and, on occasion, 90's pop music (*NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Britney, etc.) and Of Mice & Men, A Day to Remember, Memphis May Fire, Issues, Woe, Is Me, etc.

I LOVES YOUS! 3 Johto Blue!

I'm sorry. I'm a rambler.


	58. Light the Way

**Heather's Pokémon**

**Totodile - Ab: Torrent - Moves: Water Gun, Frost Breath, Rage, Headbutt, and Hydro Pump (Only on occasion) Level 40**

**Flaaffy - Ab: Static - Moves: Thundershock, Charge, Thunder Bolt, and Discharge - Level 39**

**Muk - Ab: Sticky Hold - Moves: Sludge, Fire Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Sludge Bomb - Level 28**

**Jolteon - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thundershock, Pin Missile, Sand-Attack, and Double Kick - Level 33**

**Misdreavus - Ab: Levitate - Moves: Shadow Ball, Psywave, Perish Song, and Pain Split - Level 32**

**Girafarig - Ab: Sap Sipper - Moves: Shadow Ball, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, and Energy Ball - Level 33**

**With Elm:**

**Chinchou - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Zap Cannon, Water Pulse – Level 35**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 58 – Light the Way<strong>

* * *

><p>"Attention passengers: we are heading through a storm. Please hang on as we push through this bad weather and do your best to enjoy your ride to Cianwood City!" A woman's voice echoed out of the intercom system on the ship. Calming elevator music began to play as if they were trying to ease any tension they had put on the travelers.<p>

"Oh no! What if we sink like Deka said we would!?" Clover wailed, hugging her brother's arm.

"We're going to be fine, Clover," Brogan sighed, trying to soothe the youngest.

Heather peered out a window at the roaring waves. One splashed up onto the upper deck, obscuring her view of the violent sea. The lights on the boat flickered and Clover screamed. Deka put his arms around his sister and pulled her into his chest, muffling her. Swablu pecked at his nose angrily, but he ignored it and released her only when she had stopped screaming.

"I hope the power doesn't go out," Free sighed. The lights flashed once more, and then went out. This time, they did not flicker back on and a whirring noise could be heard slowing down to a low growl and then stopping completely.

"What was that?" Deka asked. Clover whimpered, about to cry.

"I don't know, but at least it stopped that music," Brogan replied.

"Here, I'll find someone that will tell us what is going on!" Free said, before disappearing into the surrounding darkness. No one spoke. They listened to the crashing waves and thunder outside the ship. Free came back minutes later, dragging a man by the sleeve of his white shirt.

"This is Mr. Bot. He says he can get the power running again if he has the help of electric Pokémon to get the generator going," Free explained.

"And you brought me here why?" Mr. Bot asked, obviously stressed by the power outage.

"Well you see, Mr. Bot, my best friend Heather here has two electric Pokémon!" Free grinned.

"Oh that is wonderful! Would you mind if they helped me out?" Mr. Bot smiled at Heather.

"Of course! But, I would have to go with you. They'd only listen to me," Heather replied.

"Sure. You can all come. Some young one's like you have probably never seen a ship's generator."

Mr. Bot led the five trainers down two flights of stairs to the bottom of the ship where some candles were lit.

"I don't care how strong your Electabuzz is. We'd still need at least two Pokémon to get this thing going!" A man shouted at a boy with blonde hair.

"Hey Track!" Clover called over to the men. "We're trying to help too!"

"This girl here has two electric Pokémon!" Mr. Bot added.

"Jolteon, Flaaffy, come on out!" Heather threw two balls. Track released his Electabuzz from a Poké Ball.

"What a magnificent Jolteon! I've never seen one that sparkles like that! But, back to business. I want you to have your Pokémon direct electricity at that long rod right between those two round generator pieces," Mr. Bot pointed to the rod.

"Well, you heard them, guys! You can do it!" Heather cheered on her Pokémon.

Flaaffy and Jolteon took a deep breath before sending their electric energy surging towards the rod. Electabuzz thumped his fists on his chest and did the same. The people gathered at the bottom of the boat cheered, and the Pokémon worked even harder to help them out.

"How long will they have to go?" Heather asked as Jolteon's power began to grow weaker.

"Until the power comes back on," Mr. Bot shrugged. "It looks like Jolteon his getting tired. You may want to call it back. Flaaffy and Electabuzz will be enough, although the charge up won't be as fast."

"Jolteon, you did great. You need to rest, though," Heather called over to her Pokémon. Jolteon trotted over and to lay down by her feet.

Soon, Electabuzz fell back to Track, too.

"Oh no!" Clover cried. "What if the power doesn't come back on!"

"If your Flaaffy is strong enough, it should only take a little more time to get the power running!" Mr. Bot replied.

"Flaaffy, can you keep going?" Heather called. Flaaffy nodded before she began to glow a bright white, still giving out electricity.

"She's evolving!" Deka and Free said in awe.

"Ampharos!" The newly evolved Flaaffy cried before setting out an even stronger burst of electricity. The lights in the room flickered on at this, and the music began to play again.

"Oh great, we have to listen to this again," Brogan sighed.

"Attention passengers: We have now arrived at the Cianwood City Dock." The female's voice over the intercom echoed around the generator room.

"All that work just to show up in Cianwood just as we were finished," Track chuckled to Heather and putting an arm around Electabuzz. "But you did get an Ampharos out of it!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN Hey, guys! New update today! So, have you ever met up with any other writers from fanfiction? I know it sounds weird, but I have! I meant to announce this awhile back, but myself and Heather met Pokestets! It was awesome, and I hope to meet more people on here! Whether it be weird or not, I had fun!**

**Q1) Anyone on fanfiction that you'd love to meet?**

**Q2) Did Ampharos evolving surprise your? Or make you happy?**

**Q3) Who else would you like to see evolve on Free and Heather's team?**


	59. The Race Against the Clock Pt 2

**Heather's Pokémon**

**Totodile - Ab: Torrent - Moves: Water Gun, Frost Breath, Rage, Headbutt, and Hydro Pump (Only on occasion) Level 41**

**Ampharos - Ab: Static - Moves: Thundershock, Charge, Thunder Bolt, and Discharge - Level 41**

**Muk - Ab: Sticky Hold - Moves: Sludge, Fire Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Sludge Bomb - Level 30**

**Jolteon - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thundershock, Pin Missile, Sand-Attack, and Double Kick - Level 34**

**Misdreavus - Ab: Levitate - Moves: Shadow Ball, Psywave, Perish Song, and Pain Split - Level 33**

**Girafarig - Ab: Sap Sipper - Moves: Shadow Ball, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, and Energy Ball - Level 34**

**With Elm:**

**Chinchou - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Zap Cannon, Water Pulse – Level 35**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 59 – The Race Against the Clock Pt. 2<strong>

* * *

><p>"Free! Isn't this great! We finally get to have our next gym battle," Heather squealed, hugging her friend. But, Free did not respond. He looked off into the ocean. Heather noticed. "Are you all right, Free?"<p>

"There's something out there," Free replied, and he knew what it was.

"Yeah, I bet there's lots of things out there," Deka snorted.

"You and Brogan can go battle. I'm going to head out there," Free mumbled, walking off.

"Uh, okay," Heather replied, watching her friend stumble off as if he was in a trance. "Let's go, Brogan."

The gym wasn't far from the docks and Heather had seen it when they had visited Cianwood City to pick up the medicine for Amphy.

"Hello?" Heather called into the gym. It was dark. Her voice echoed and Brogan called into it too. Suddenly, all the lights turned on and Heather, Brogan, Deka, and Clover were instantly blinded for a few seconds.

"Hello!" A teenager's voice rang back. The trainers' eyes were now adjusting to the bright white lights.

"Clock?" Heather was confused to see the best friend of her cousin and gym leader, Splash, standing before her.

"Heather? What are you doing here? Where is Fai's brother, uh, Free? I thought you too were on a journey together? Who are your friends?" Clock inquired, asking too many questions and taking up time as he usually did.

"He's exploring," Heather stated simply before she turned and pointed off her friends to introduce them in turn. "Brogan, Deka, and Clover."

"So why are you here?" Clock asked again.

"Brogan and I are here to challenge you to a gym battle!" Heather replied. Clock laughed.

"I've always wanted to battle my best friend's little cousin. Bring it on, Heather!"

At those words, a referee stepped out holding to flags and took his customary spot at the edge of the battlefield.

"This battle will be a one on one Pokémon single battle. Only the challenger may switch out. As a special rule of this gym, the challenger must defeat Clock's Pokémon in under five minutes. Begin!"

"Misdreavus, I choose you!" Heather threw a ball out.

"Misdreavus, Mis," Misdreavus cooed, floating around mischievously.

"A ghost-type, huh? Go, Hitmonchan!"

"Psywave," Heather ordered. Misdreavus sent out waves of psychic energy towards Hitmonchan.

"Dodge and mach punch!" Clock replied. Hitmonchan was fast and his fist contacted with Misdreavus's ghostly form.

"Misdreavus, shadow ball!" Heather commanded. Misdreavus gathered the dark energy around her and sent it soaring through the air.

"Dodge!" Clock replied. Once again, Hitmonchan was too fast for Misdreavus.

"Four minutes remain," the referee announced.

Heather groaned, already having let a minute passed. She had to think quick. "Psywave, Misdreavus!"

Misdreavus released a beam of rainbow-colored psychic energy at Hitmonchan, who dodged and threw another punch. Misdreavus tumbled back in the air, panting slightly from the damge she had taken.

"Dang it!" Heather muttered. "Hitmonchan is so much faster. I'll be lucky if I can hit him once. Unless…"

"Mach punch!" Clock called out. Hitmonchan took another swift punch at Misdreavus.

"Hang in there!" Heather called, and then her plan came together. "Pain split!"

An evil grin came on to Misdreavus's face and Hitmonchan bent over in pain as Misdreavus split their damage and health evenly. While he was down, Heather made her next move.

"Psywave!" Heather yelled. Misdreavus sent the waves of psychic energy towards Hitmonchan once more, colliding with his body.

"That should be an effective hit, right Deka?" Clover asked.

"It sure is," Deka replied.

Sure enough, Hitmonchan fell to the ground.

"Hitmonchan is unable to battle with two minutes to go on the clock!" The referee announced.

Heather cheered and Clock chuckled softly, pulling out a badge as he crossed the battlefield and handed it to Heather.

"You're good," Clock said. "Almost as−"

"I want to battle now," Brogan interrupted.

"Sure thing! Nothing like battling two little girls in a day…" Clock groaned.

Meanwhile, Free was wandering the north coast of Cianwood City. He had a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that Suicune was near.

"Unown… Unown…" A voice could be heard in the depths of his mind. A ripple in the air could be seen and a few Unown flew out and behind a rock before disappearing into another ripple. Free took at as a sign that Suicune was over there. He began to run and looked behind the rock to find a small lack concealed behind it.

At the center of the lake stood Suicune.

* * *

><p>AN So, you all may be wondering why this is part 2 and there is no part 1 for this story! Well how about you all just stop complaining! Just kidding. Actually, for all of you guys that don't read my other stories, part 1 is in Through the Eyes of Spade. It's kind of an interesting concept that we came up with, kind of tying the two stories together.

A/N 2 And I'm sorry to inform you guys that my writer's block has gone from writer's block to just full blown depression. I already suffer pretty bad from both, so right now, I don't know if I can write as much... But I will try!

Q1) Any words of encouragement?

Q2) Predictions for next chapter?


	60. The Race Against the Clock Pt 3

**Free's Pokémon**

**Chikorita - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Vine Whip, Body Slam and Solarbeam (Only on occasion) - Level 42**

**Wooper - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Mud-Slap, Yawn, and Iron Tail - Level 32**

**Quilava - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Flame Wheel, Rollout, Flamethrower, and Smokescreen - Level 37**

**Umbreon - Ab: Synchonize - Moves: Dark Pulse, Quick Attack, Bite, and Shadow Ball - Level 32**

**Heracross - Ab: Moxie - Moves: Horn Attack, Aerial Ace, Brick Break, and Endure - Level 35**

**Teddiursa - Ab: Guts - Moves: Fury Swipes, Protect, Brick Break, and Slash - Level 34**

***With Elm***

**Poliwhirl - Ab: Damp - Moves: Dynamicpunch, Water Gun, Bubblebeam, and Hypnosis – Level 37**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 60 – The Race Against the Clock Pt. 3<strong>

* * *

><p>"Suicune…" Free muttered softly.<p>

Suicune's ears perked up and it stared into Free's eyes. The feeling that Suicune gave Free, made him feel drowsy. It was like all of his energy was being drained from his body.

"Chika?" Chikorita wondered, breaking Free's trance.

"What?" Free mumbled. He glanced over at Suicune one more time, who was now bounding away from Free, towards the Whirl Islands.

"Free! Where have you been?" Heather pouted, standing outside of the Cianwood City gym with her friends.

"Just… exploring. I saw a strange Pokémon," Free replied solemnly. "But, I'd like to take the gym challenge now."

Free stepped into the gym where Clock was turned around, nursing his Pokémon—an injured Hitmonchan and a burnt Hitmonlee from Brogan's battle— with another one of his Pokémon, Tyrogue.

"I'd like to challenge Clock, the gym leader, to a battle," Free announced.

"Aw man! Another one?" Clock whined. He squinted his eyes at Free, and the realization of who he was struck him. "Free! Fai's scorcher of a little bro! You look just like him, but with messier hair… and goggles. And he'd never wear that bag. But, anyways… Sure, I'll battle you!"

"This battle will be a one on one Pokémon single battle. Only the challenger may switch out. As a special rule of this gym, the challenger must defeat Clock's Pokémon in under five minutes. Begin!" The referee recited for the third time in a row.

"Another third timed battle, eh?" Deka commented, shaking his head disapprovingly. "As if the last two worked well for him…"

"Umbreon! Go!" Free threw a ball.

"Bre…" Umbreon cooed.

"If Free knows Clock, shouldn't he know that he'll use a fighting-type?" Brogan asked.

"Well, Free doesn't like to go by those rules…" Deka muttered.

"What interesting blue rings on your Umbreon! But still, go, Hitmontop!" Clock sent out his Pokémon.

"Hitmontop, the Handstand Pokémon, and evolution of Tyrogue. Fighting-type. It launches kicks while spinning. If it spins at high speed, it may bore its way into the ground. After doing a handstand to throw off the opponent's timing, it presents its fancy kick moves," Free's Pokédex chimed.

"Triple kick!"

Hitmontop rolled onto his head and began top spin at a rapid pace towards Umbreon. His foot swiped across the face of Umbreon once, dealing minor damage, and the dark-type's eyes flamed in agitation. Purple, poisonous sweat from Umbreon's natural defense mechanism dripped from him and onto Hitmontop's body, poisoning Clock's Pokémon. Hitmontop's attack stopped and he stood back up, dizzy from the poison.

"I see! Free didn't have him dodge because he knew about Umbreon's defenses!" Clover said, as if noting it in her head.

"Four minutes on the clock remain!" The referee announced.

"Umbreon, quick attack!" Free ordered. Umbreon quickly dashed at Hitmontop, tackling him, and knocking him down.

"Rapid spin! Quickly!" Clock commanded.

Hitmontop rolled onto the spike on his head again and began to spin rapidly towards Umbreon once more. A pained expression crossed his face as the poison affected him.

"Confuse ray," Free said. Umbreon's eyes flashed white, and Hitmontop began to spin out of control.

"Oh no! Hitmontop!" Clock cried. "Snap out of it!"

"Dark pulse!" Free yelled.

"Two minutes left on the clock!"

Umbreon stamped his paws on the ground lightly and all light in the gym was extinguished. They then lit up as a wave of dark energy pulsated across the floor, it carrying Hitmontop into a wall.

"Hitmontop is unable to battle with one minute, thirty-two seconds left on the clock!" The referee groaned, tired after a long day of judging and timekeeping.

Clock sighed and looked out to a hallway where a large and elderly grass Pokémon stood. "Come here, Meganium…"

"Chika?" Free's Chikorita's leaf perked up and she stared at her future evolution and could tell how old and wise she was.

"Could you help me heal these guys? We've taken a beating…" Clock whined. Meganium smiled at him and walked over to take over healing the injured Pokémon so Clock could hand a badge to Free.

"I'll have to tell your brother just how good you are!" Clock grinned. "Of course… he does get all moody about you battling and all. Oh! Here's your badge."

"Great!" Free exclaimed, putting it with his others. "Now we only have two more, Heather!"

"Hey guys, the boat back to Olivine is leaving soon. You'll have to take in to get to Mahogany where your next badge is…" Brogan smiled, happy to know more than them.

"You're right! We better hurry back!" Heather replied. "Only two more to go…"

* * *

><p><strong>AN A new chapter! And the second season finale for Free and Heather's story. Only 40 chapters left of Johto! I'll try to post them more frequently. But first! We have another "movie" story to start posting. It will be featuring a few characters that we've introduced lately, so get ready for that!**

**Thank you all for your kind words. It did make me feel a lot better.**

**Q1) Favorite part about this last season? Chapters 31-60**

**Q2) Expectations for season 3? Anything you'd like to be different?**

**Much love! JohtoBlue**


	61. Deka's Got it Covered!

**Deka's Pokémon**

**Ivysaur - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, PoisonPowder, and Leech Seed - Level 30**

**Scyther - Ab: Technician - Moves: Fury Cutter, Quick Attack, False Swipe, and Wing Attack - Level 28**

**Noctowl - Ab: Keen Eye - Moves: Wing Attack, Hypnosis, Peck, and Confusion - Level 23**

***With Professor Oak***

**Eevee - Ab: Run Away - Moves: Tackle, Sand-Attack, and Quick Attack - Level 15**

**Chapter 61 – Deka's Got It Covered!**

* * *

><p>Three days had passed since the Free and Heather won their fifth badge. Brogan split from the four trainers, flying gallantly off on a giant, grey Pokémon, finding her own, faster way to get the next badge in Mahogany Town. Free, Heather, Deka, and Clover decided to take a more leisurely, land route towards Ecruteak City.<p>

"It seems so long since we've been here, but really it's been less than a month," Deka sighed, stretching his arms above his head. "But I never really noticed how beautiful this trail is."

"Chika!" Chikorita agreed, chasing Swablu, who soared near the leaf-strewn path happily.

Heather titled her head back and looked up at the beams of sunlight dancing through the canopy of trees shading the cool, forest path.

"It's so weird. There're no other Pokémon out in the trees, though," Free noted, looking around.

"Yeah, but it looks like there's a tree in our path up ahead!" Clover pointed down the path. There was indeed a tree blocking the middle of the path, its branches reaching out so the trainers could not pass.

"I got this covered, guys," Deka stepped forward and threw one of his Poké Balls.

"Scy, Scyther!" Scyther cried, happily out and about in the forest.

"Scyther, cut down that tree that's blocking our path!" Deka ordered.

"Scyther!" Scyther replied, brandishing his scythe-like arms and scraping at the tree.

Suddenly, Scyther yelped and dashed back from the tree to Deka's side.

"Sudowoodo!" The tree cried in anger, turning around slowly.

"Whoa! That tree is a Pokémon!" Free shouted, his voice filled with excitement. He pulled out his Pokédex and pointed it at the tree-like Pokémon.

"Sudowoodo, the Imitation Pokémon. Rock-type," the Pokédex read.

"Deka, did you hear that? Sudowoodo is a rock-type. That's why it hurt Scyther!"

"Well, if it's a rock type, I'll just have to send out Ivysaur," Deka replied, pulling out a Poké Ball and tossing it towards the tree.

"Ivy-Ivysaur," Ivysaur growled, ready for battle.

"Ivysaur, leech seed," Deka commanded.

Ivysaur bent his front half down, pointing the budding flower on its back towards Sudowoodo, and blasting several green seeds on the Pokémon. The seeds immediately began to leach Sudowoodo's health into Ivysaur.

"Now, razor leaf!" Deka ordered.

Razor-like leaves shot themselves at Sudowoodo, and he doubled over from its injuries. Suddenly, Sudowoodo shot back the same leach seeds and used razor leaf.

"Rust, I thought Sudowoodo was a rock-type! How is it using grass-type attacks?" Deka whined.

Sudowoodo shot fire out of his mouth, scorching Ivysaur's feet.

"And how did it do that?! Rock type's can't breathe fire! Ivysaur, hold it down with vine whip so it can't attack!"

"Hold on, let me check," Free replied, chuckling quietly at Deka's expense and taking his time to pull out his Pokédex. Free pushed a yellow button to receive more information on the strange Pokémon.

"Sudowoodo disguises itself as a tree to avoid attacks. Although it pretends to be a tree, its body composition seems to be closer to a rock to a plant. It hates water, so if it starts to rain, Sudowoodo hides."

"Well, that doesn't explain the fire," Free pushed another button.

"Sudowoodo's signature attack is mimic," the Pokédex read. "It allows Sudowoodo to replicate attacks that have been used on it before."

"Ohhhh…" the group of trainers said in unison.

"Well, that seems like a useful sort of Pokémon! I'm going to catch it!" Deka announced. "Ivysaur, razor leaf one more time!"

Ivysaur nodded, unleashing his attacks. Sudowoodo grinned, blowing red hot flames from his mouth one more time. The flames easily destroyed Ivysaur's attack, but when they died down, Deka was ready.

"Trip 'em up!"

Ivysaur bounded forward, a vine escaping from his back. The vine wrapped around a scared Sudowoodo, throwing him to the ground.

"Keep it going!" Deka called. He smiled. "Double-Edge!"

"That's a new one," Free mumbled.

Ivysaur kept on his path, ramming his body as hard as he could into Sudowoodo. The rock-type flew back, skidding against the rough ground.

"Perfect!" Clover squeaked.

Heather nodded. "Catch it!"

Deka shuffled for a Pokémon and shook his head. "Will you all shut up? I know what I need to do!" With that, he tossed his Poké Ball at Sudowoodo. The ball rocked a few times then let out its soft ding that proved that it was captured.

"Awesome, Deka! You caught a rock… tree… mimic thing…" Clover said, hugging her brother.

* * *

><p><strong>AN So, I'm posting this up now, because myself and Heather will be out of town for the next two days. But once we get back, updates will come every Wednesday and Friday!**

**Also, ...also!**

**GO CHECK OUT CHAPTER 1! WE REWROTE IT!**

**It is so much better!**

**And if you've already reviewed the first chapter, it won't let you re-review it. I'd love it if you'd PM to tell me what you thought!**


	62. Indigo Champion Brawl

**Deka's Pokémon**

**Ivysaur - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, PoisonPowder, and Leech Seed - Level 31**

**Scyther - Ab: Technician - Moves: Fury Cutter, Quick Attack, False Swipe, and Wing Attack - Level 28**

**Noctowl - Ab: Keen Eye - Moves: Wing Attack, Hypnosis, Peck, and Confusion - Level 23**

**Beedrill – Ab: Swarm – Moves: Fury Attack, Twineedle, Rage, and Focus Energy**

**Sudowoodo: Ab: Sturdy - Moves: Mimic, Low Kick, Rock Throw, and Slam – Level 25**

***With Professor Oak***

**Eevee - Ab: Run Away - Moves: Tackle, Sand-Attack, and Quick Attack - Level 15**

**Chapter 62 – Indigo Champion Brawl**

* * *

><p>After much travel, the four trainers arrived in Ecruteak City, only to hear a woman screaming at someone.<p>

"Get out! I will not put up with this!"

"I'm sorry that Charger burnt the inn's curtains again. Really, I am!" A teenage boy who looked around sixteen-years-old in mostly green attire held up his hands in defense to an older woman with curly gray hair and many wrinkles. His green eyes looked around frantically past his brown, spiky hair. Behind him sat a pouting Charizard. "He just sneezes sometime,s and fire shoots out!"

"Just get out of here, Verde. This happened the last time I let you stay here!" The older woman smacked him hard on the head with a stack of papers she was holding.

"Ouch! Grandma… Please don't do things like this. We're outside and people might see," the boy, Verde, whined. "It's embarrassing…"

"Well it's embarrassing for me to explain to the other guests why the inn smells like it's burning down! Tourists have enough legends and myths about buildings burning here. Thank goodness you haven't visited the Bell Tower. It'd burn just like the other one," the boy's grandmother scolded him, hitting him once more with the papers.

"Alright, I get it. I'll send you money to pay back for the curtains," Verde moped and hugged the old woman. "Love you grandma. See you later, then. Come on, Charger."

"Whoa. That's one tough grandma you have there," Deka called to the boy.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Verde and his Charizard turned and faced the four. "Are you guys Pokémon trainers?"

"We sure are," Free stated proudly.

"Chika, Chika!" Chikorita cried, agreeing with her trainer.

Heather simply nodded her head.

"Yep! We're going to be… the very best," Deka replied.

"You guys have ambition, I see. I'm Verde from Pallet Town in Kanto. And this is Charger, my Charizard. And your names would be…?"

"I'm Clover Kusa and this is my dumb brother, Deka," Cover introduced her brother and herself, batting her eyelashes at Verde and blushing. "I'm MUCH prettier than him."

Verde stared awkwardly at the Swablu nesting in her hair.

"Free Flarez, future Pokémon master. And this is Chikorita!" Free picked his Pokémon up and held it out to Verde who chuckled.

"And you?" Verde asked Heather.

"I'm Heather Glacies," Heather replied, feeling intimidated by the experienced trainer in front of them.

"Hey! I'm from Pallet Town. I think I've heard about you. Or maybe it was someone else…" Deka trailed off in thought.

"You're probably thinking of Azul. He's our 'hometown boy.'" Verde's tone was hostile and anger flashed his face but then he shook his head and a smile replaced it. "Azul was my rival when we were kids."

"Azul Claywood! That's right. Didn't he beat the Indigo League?" Deka asked.

"Are you guys friends?" Heather added.

"He did beat it. Destroyed it, actually. But I'd love to brag and say if it wasn't for me he would've gotten Charmander instead of the Venusaur he has now. And we are friends now more than we had ever been," Verde laughed to himself as if remembering something funny and flicked his hair out of his eyes. "Azul and I haven't always got along. I tripped him up a few times when we both weren't as mature. But now I guess you could say we're just friendly rivals now."

"Oh. That's good. Friends are cool," Deka replied casually making Verde laugh once more.

"But didn't you go back and win the Indigo League, like, a couple years later?" Free asked.

Verde nodded. "Yeah, but because of the controversy that followed Azul's victory, no one remembers me."

Deka grinned. "That's because Azul's win was the best!"

"You remind me a little of myself at your age. And you two together remind me a little of Azul," Verde said referring respectively to Deka and then Free and Heather.

"So what was your grandma saying about Bell Tower? I didn't know there was a Bell Tower here," Free said.

"Oh. It's right over there," Verde pointed to the north-east were I giant tower loomed over the city. "It's protected now, but we could visit it if you'd like."

"That sounds like fun!" The trainers answered.

"Well, I'd love to spend some time with you aspiring trainers," Verde smiled. "Let's get going."

* * *

><p>"Here we are: Bell Tower," Verde said as they reached the immense structure that grasped towards at the sky.<p>

"Whoa, it's huge!" Clover and Heather stared with open mouths, Charger joining them, tail twitching and wings gently flapping as if he wished to fly to the top.

"Yeah, I bet it looks even bigger on the inside," Deka replied. Verde pushed open a door to a building aside from the tower and stepped in.

"Young Verde, what brings you here?" An older man with a shiny, bald head bowed slightly to Verde.

"Nothing really, gramps. Just wanting to visit the tower with these trainers I ran into," Verde clapped the old man on the back gently, pulling him into a hug.

"Go right ahead—but let me just tell you the stairs to the third floor are blocked right now because the roof above them came down. We're having someone fix it next week," Verde's grandfather said.

"Thanks for letting us know, but we'd still like to check it out," Free smiled. Verde led the four to a back door and through a leaf strewn path towards the tower.

"Now Charger, it's a little dusty in here. If you sneeze, remember to cover your mouth!" Verde warned his Pokémon. Charger groaned sadly and nodded his head, wagging his tail like a puppy.

"So, how long have you and Charizard− I mean Charger− been together?" Free asked.

"Six years. He's been great," Verde chuckled. Charger glowed and seemed to smile at the trainers.

"He must be really strong," Heather said, patting Verde's Charizard on the arm.

"Not strong enough to beat Azul though. Never strong enough to beat Azul," Deka snorted.

"You have a lot of nerve talking like that, kid," Verde growled.

"What? You know it's true," Deka grinned, taunting him. "Azul's the reason I picked a Bulbasaur. I'm great just like he is."

"Big brother, Verde's a really good−" Clover was cut off.

"How about we battle and see just how good of a trainer I am?" Verde shouted angrily. Deka looked taken aback but quickly regained his cocky composure.

"Alright, we'll battle," Deka replied, fear beginning to show in his eyes. His voice faltered. "Let's get out of here first, though."

"Guess we don't get to see the pretty tower," Heather whispered to Free, pouting.

As soon as the five reached the path between the Bell Tower and its entry building, Charger stepped in front of Verde and for the first time since meeting the Pokémon, he looked ready to kill.

"One on one battle," Free said, being a makeshift referee for the battle. "Go!"

"Ivysaur!" Deka threw his Poké Ball.

"Ivy, Ivysaur!" Deka's Pokémon cried.

"Charger, take it easy. We don't wanna discourage this little punk too much," Verde said in a voice so quiet only his Pokémon could hear. Charger nodded slowly and spit fire towards the ground in front of Ivysaur, burning a few leaves and leaving black scorch marks on the ground.

"Ivysaur, vine whip!" Deka made the first move. Ivysaur's vines jutted out and began to whip at Charger who just stood there and took it, taking very little damage, waiting for Verde's command.

"Tackle," Verde ordered.

"Ha! Tackle? That's such an elementary move…" Deka's voice faded as the flame on Charger's tail burned bright and bigger, and he charged at Ivysaur moving so fast only a red-orange blur was seen. Ivysaur was knocked to the ground, greatly injured.

"Ember," Verde commanded next. Charger opened his mouth slightly and shot tiny bursts of flames at Deka's Pokémon.

"Dodge!" Deka cried in exasperation. His Pokémon backed out of the direct path of the flames, but his legs shook from being tackled by the Charizard, and he couldn't get back far enough before some of the flames singed him.

"Razor leaf!" Deka ordered. Leaves shot in a swirling tornado at Charger.

"Fire spin," Verde countered and a mass of twirling flames ate up the razor-like leaves and wrapped around Ivysaur. The flames continued to burn for a minute until they slowly died into smoke, and Ivysaur lay down defeated.

"Not a scratch on you, Charger," Verde congratulated his best friend. Charger grinned and high fived Verde with his massive claw.

"Humph," Deka sighed. "Return."

"You can use another Pokémon if you'd like to. I don't mind," Verde said with a grin.

Deka shook his head. "No. Ivysaur is my strongest Pokémon.

"Nice Ivysaur you got there, but you guys need more practice. Are you taking the gym battle challenge?" Verde asked Deka.

"I don't need the badges. Why would I?" Deka snarled.

"It's how Azul and I got so good," Verde replied, smiling at the naïve trainer.

* * *

><p><strong>AN A longer chapter! We combined the original chapters 62 and 63 together to make one MEGA chapter! Mwahahahah!**


	63. Testing Out the New Guy!

**Heather's Pokémon**

**Totodile - Ab: Torrent - Moves: Water Gun, Frost Breath, Rage, Headbutt, and Hydro Pump (Only on occasion) Level 44**

**Ampharos - Ab: Static - Moves: Thundershock, Charge, Thunder Bolt, and Discharge - Level 43**

**Muk - Ab: Sticky Hold - Moves: Sludge, Fire Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Sludge Bomb - Level 33**

**Jolteon - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thundershock, Pin Missile, Sand-Attack, and Double Kick - Level 36**

**Misdreavus - Ab: Levitate - Moves: Shadow Ball, Psywave, Perish Song, and Pain Split - Level 35**

**Girafarig - Ab: Sap Sipper - Moves: Shadow Ball, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, and Energy Ball - Level 37**

***With Professor Elm***

**Chinchou - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Zap Cannon, Water Pulse – Level 39**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 63 – Testing Out the New Guy!<strong>

* * *

><p>"Hey look, there's Morty!" Free exclaimed as the five trainers made their way back into main Ecruteak City.<p>

"Did someone call my name?" Morty looked around confused. He stopped when he spotted Heather and Free and waved. "Hey! What are you two kids doing back in Ecruteak?"

"We're passing through to get to Mahogany Town!" Heather replied. "But we met Verde here. He was getting screamed at by his grandma, and then we went to the Bell Tower, and then Deka started mouthing off to Verde, so they battled, and he kicked his butt!"

"Oh, how very exciting," Morty replied, scratching his head and trying to make sense out of Heather's run-on sentence.

"You suck…" Deka mumbled.

"So what have you been up to, Morty?" Free asked.

"Actually, I just caught a new Pokémon. He's not from the Johto Regio,n but somehow that's where he ended up! I was hoping to train it," Morty said.

"How about Heather and I double battle you?" Free suggested. "Then we'd all get some training in before Mahogany!"

"You know, that's not a bad idea," Morty chuckled. "Let's meet at my gym in an hour, and we'll battle."

The hour passed quickly and soon Verde, Deka, and Clover had found a bench to sit on inside Morty's gym while Heather, Free, and Morty himself stood on opposite sides of the battlefield. A referee took his usual stance at the side of the field.

"This battle will be a two on two double battle. No time limit. The battle will end when both of a teams' Pokémon are defeated. Begin!" The referee stated the usual and Morty threw out his two Pokémon first.

"Haunter!" Morty's Haunter smiled diabolically at Free and Heather.

"Sableye," his second Pokémon said. Sableye was mostly dark-purple with unusual jewels encrusting its back and two diamonds for eyes.

"Those things freak me out!" Clover cried from the back of the gym, suddenly remembering a very dark, scary cave on Dewford Island in the Hoenn region.

"Stop being such a baby!" Deka hugged her to his side.

"I think it's kind of cool looking," Heather and Verde said at the same time.

"Heracross!"

"Girafarig!"

"Go!" Both Free and Heather sent out their Pokémon.

"Double faint attack!" Morty ordered to both his Pokémon. They disappeared into the shadowy corners of his gym and popped up in front of Girafarig and Heracross and struck them hard. Girafarig was injured but Heracross barely felt a thing.

"Girafarig, shadow ball!" Heather called to her Pokémon, who was lying down injured. Girafarig simply opened its mouth and shot the ball of dark energy at the ghost Pokémon, encompassing both Haunter and Sableye.

"Heracross, night slash!" Free commanded as Haunter and Sableye were thrown back from the attack. Heracross ran to them and swiped them with a dark power.

Once again, only one Pokémon was truly injured while the other was not so much. Haunter looked as beat as Girafarig but Sableye and Heracross were ostensibly in good health.

"Incinerate!" Morty called to Sableye, now in close proximity to Heracross. His Pokémon let out a close-ranged burst of fire, burning Heracross.

The now crisp bug Pokémon lay defeated. "Heracross is unable to battle."

"That means it's up to you, Girafarig!" Free cheered to Heather's Pokémon as he returned Heracross.

"Ghost moves won't work on Girafarig, but dark-type ones will!" Morty muttered to himself. "Sableye, Haunter, it's time for some foul play and payback!"

Haunter disappeared and reappeared behind Girafarig and Sableye darted to the front, releasing their attacks.

"That was almost funny," Verde laughed a little. "Because those are totally attack names."

The attacks both collided with Girafarig and Heather knew she couldn't stand a chance against Morty's new Pokémon. It had seemed to have no weakness.

"Girafarig!" She cried. There was nothing she could do.

"Girafarig is unable to battle!" The referee announced. Heather sadly returned her Pokémon. "Morty is the victor."

"So this little Sableye is going to be a good addition to my team," Morty mused.

"Yeah, it's definitely strong!" Free replied.

"It's a ghost and dark-type. So it has no weaknesses," Morty replied, returning his Pokémon. "And it will make my badge a lot harder to get, seeing as your Girafarig beat me once before, Heather!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN A short, simple chapter. But I feel it is nice to bring in recurring characters. Welcome back, Morty! Next chapter starts something special!**


	64. A Storm's Brewing

**Clover's Pokémon**

**Torchic - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Ember, Scratch, Flamethrower, and Focus Energy - Level 27**

**Bagon - Ab: Rock Head - Moves: Headbutt, Dragonbreath, Ember, and Bite - Level 29**

**Swablu - Ab: Natural Cure - Moves: Peck, Sing, Astonish, and Fury Attack - Level 21**

**Espeon - Ab: Synchronize - Moves: Helping Hand, Confusion, Quick Attack, and Swift - Level 25**

**Poliwag - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, and Doubleslap - Level 21**

**Oddish - Ab: Chlorophyll - Moves: Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Acid, and Absorb - Level 20**

**Chapter 64 – A Storm's Brewing**

* * *

><p>"Heather, Free, Deka, Clover?! Is that you!?" A girl's voice echoed throughout town as a familiar trainer ran down the streets of Ecruteak to greet the others. "Is Verde that delicious hunk of man-meat standing with you guys? Verde! I love you!"<p>

"Who is that?" Verde asked, squinting his eyes. Recognition flashed through them. "Uh, hey. Nice meeting you guys, but I have a Gym Leader test to take. See ya! Fly, Charger!"

Verde hopped on the back of his Charizard who spread his wings and took flight just as the girl reached the four trainers.

"Hello, Rachael," they all muttered, wishing they had taken action as quickly as Verde did.

"Did Verde just leave? I saw him here, and then he flew away!" Rachael asked, exasperated. She squinted her eyes at the sky, but Verde and Charger were long gone.

"Uh. No, that wasn't him," Heather lied, knowing Verde had been trying to avoid Rachael.

"Definitely not," Free added. He also realized Verde and Rachael must have had some sort of confrontation earlier and that is why he fled.

"Oh. Pooey," Rachael pouted. "I wanted to hug him again! He is so, so, so, cute. But, hey, you're cute too, Deka."

Deka's face flushed, and a panicked look took over his face. Rachael walked to his side and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hey!" Clover stomped her foot, angry at Rachael's actions. "You can't just kiss my ugly brother. That's gross and yucky!"

"Oh, yeah? What are you gonna do about it, little girl?" Rachael sneered at Clover, grabbing at a Poké Ball. "You wanna battle me? If I win I can do whatever I want to your brother."

"Wait, what?" Deka screeched.

"Well, we'll just have to take you out," Clover giggled. "Go, Bagon!"

"Loudred, go!" Rachael had run a short distance away from Clover to give the Pokémon battle space. She winked at Deka and gave him a small wave. Deka gulped and began to sweat in fear at the thought of Rachael following him.

"Bagon, ember!" Clover commanded.

"Dodge and use take down!" Rachael responded quickly. She wanted to win this.

Loudred charged at Bagon and hit him head on.

"Take down gets recoil damage though, right?" Heather whispered to Free who nodded in response.

"Ha! So now you're hurt a little bit too! Let's get them, Bagon!" Clover yelled. Bagon seemed barely damaged, about as much as Loudred was from his own attack. "Let's try dragon claw!"

Bagon's talons glowed a bright, white-blue color and he slashed at Loudred's large face, throwing him back towards Rachael.

"He may be hurt, but this is a long way from over!" Rachael commented. "I'll have you soon, Deka!"

"Please no," Deka muttered to himself. Free and Heather had to stifle their laughter and managed to retain their composure as they watched Clover's battle.

"Let's go for a headbutt then, Bagon!" Clover shouted to her Pokémon. Bagon began to charge head first at Loudred.

"Meet him with your own headbutt!" Rachael ordered.

The two Pokémon collided and skidded back to their trainers' feet, both panting. Loudred seemed to be struggling more than Bagon.

"Your sister's Bagon is really powerful," Free told Deka. Deka didn't reply. He seemed to be praying for Clover to win.

"I hoped I wouldn't have to disturb the peace by using this attack," Rachael snickered. "Loudred, uproar!"

Loudred widened his already gaping mouth and began to howl. The noise emitting from the Pokémon shook the windows of nearby buildings and several people exited their houses and stared at Rachael as if she were crazy.

Without command, Bagon opened his mouth wide and released blue-green flames from it, engulfing Loudred. Immediately, his shrieks began to die.

"Good job, Bagon!" Clover congratulated her Pokémon. When the flames died, Loudred had fallen to the ground and was unable to battle any longer.

"Loudred, return," Rachael huffed. She glared at Clover quickly, winked at Deka and Free, and waved quickly to Heather. "I'll have you yet, Deka!"

Rachael took off down the street and everyone let out the breath they didn't know they were holding.

"Thank goodness your Bagon just got annoyed of her," Deka sighed in relief. He tried to rub the small, dragon-type Pokémon on the head, but Bagon nipped at his hand, and Deka quickly withdrew it.

"She stresses me out…" Heather whined, holding her head.

"Hey! Either the sky spit on my nose or it's sprinkling, guys," Heather announced as the four trainers made their way back to the Pokémon Center.

The other trainers looked up at the sky, and sure enough, dark, puffy clouds had rolled in while Clover and Rachael battled. Lightning flashed in the distance and the wind began to pick up. When the lightning's thunder rumbled, Clover squealed.

"I don't like bad storms, Deka!" She cried, clinging to her brother's arm.

"Let's duck in somewhere, guys," Deka said, responding to his sister by turning into a protective older brother.

"There's a friendly-looking store. Let's head in there," Free pointed out. The other trainers agreed and they hurried in the door as the rain began to pound down.

"'Ello, kids. Come to get out of the storm?" The shop keeper called from behind the register.

"Yeah. Is it all right if we stay here?" Heather asked. Thunder roared, shaking the shop's shelves. Clover whimpered.

"Sure! Let me just pull down my storm blinds," the man replied, walking and pulling metal sheets down in front of the windows. "They're there incase hail breaks the window. Then glass wouldn't fly into the shop and my goods wouldn't get wet from the rain."

"That's fantastic!" Free shouted. The shop keeper smiled at the enthusiastic child.

"All right, kids, we should go down to the basement incase the storm gets really bad," the guy replied.

"Doesn't this seem a little odd? An older man is asking us to go into his basement…" Deka whispered to Free.

"I don't get it," Free replied and proceeded to follow the man down the stairs.

"Everything should be alright down here," the man said, flipping a light switch. It was quiet between the people for a moment and the upstairs rattled. They could here rain and hail pounding the building, the wind howling, and the thunder crashing.

"I don't like storms," Clover cried, covering her ears.

"How about you pull out your PokéGear and play us something on the radio?" Deka suggested.

"Oh! I forgot about my radio card!" Clover exclaimed, digging for her radio. She flipped the switch but what came on was not music, but someone talking.

"…Giovanni! Attention Giovanni! This is Team Rocket speaking! We have resurfaced; I repeat, we have resurfaced! Come to us, Giovanni. Rejoin us so we may reign once more!"

"Oh my gosh! I forgot about them!" Clover gasped. "And they had even said they were going to do something at the radio tower!"

"We have to stop them!" Free sprang up off the basement floor where he had been sitting. "Let's go, Chikorita!"

"Chika!" Chikorita hopped to her feet and ran after him.

"But, Free, what can we do? It's storming outside," Heather tried to reason with her friend.

"I bet you anything Spade is going there right now if he's heard anything about this," Free replied. "The storm is dying down anyways."

"We're going with you," Deka said.

The trainers rushed up the stairs and out into the rain. The wind wasn't blowing very hard at all anymore and the rain was light. The trainers could see the sky becoming clearer by the minute.

"Guess it was just a quickie," Heather sighed. She loved thunderstorms as much as Clover hated them.

"Yeah, but another could be coming. It's rainy season," Free said. "So we better hurry."

"Right!" The other three replied.

They started to head south towards Goldenrod City.

"Murkrow, Murkrow!" A Murkrow called from overhead.

"Fly faster!" A boy's voice called to the bird.

"Look! It's Spade! And that Golbat and Murkrow has a hold of him with their feet!" Clover shouted, pointing at the sky.

"I hope it eats him!" Deka grinned.

"Spade! Are you going to the radio tower?" Free yelled up to the red-haired boy, but he either didn't hear him or pretended not to have.

* * *

><p><strong>AN And it begins! This will be the final fight against Team Rocket for Johto. Then we will start to wrap up the series! I can't wait for the Silver Conference. That is, if Free and Heather make it there.**

**Q1) Predictions for Team Rocket?**

**Q2) Do you think Free and Heather will both make it to the Silver Conference?**

**Q3) What did you think about Clover getting to battle?**


	65. Team Rocket Hustle: Part 1

**Clover's Pokémon**

**Torchic - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Ember, Scratch, Flamethrower, and Focus Energy - Level 27**

**Bagon - Ab: Rock Head - Moves: Headbutt, Dragonbreath, Ember, and Bite - Level 29**

**Swablu - Ab: Natural Cure - Moves: Peck, Sing, Astonish, and Fury Attack - Level 21**

**Espeon - Ab: Synchronize - Moves: Helping Hand, Confusion, Quick Attack, and Swift - Level 25**

**Poliwag - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, and Doubleslap - Level 21**

**Oddish - Ab: Chlorophyll - Moves: Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Acid, and Absorb - Level 20**

**Chapter 65 – Team Rocket Hustle Part 1**

"Koffing! Koffing, Koffing, Koffing!" A sobbing purple Pokémon floated towards the trainers as they were almost into Goldenrod City.

"I never want to battle with anything as weak as you again, Koffing!" A man in a Team Rocket uniform shouted, causing Koffing to burst into more tears, all the while emitting huge quantities of its poison gas. The Team Rocket member spotted the young trainers, gave them a heartless glare, and darted back into the city and out of sight, leaving the Koffing alone with them.

"Aw, poor thing!" Deka cooed, stretching a hand out to the poison-type. "Hey, Koffing. Are you alright, buddy?"

"Koffing…" The Koffing sighed and looked at the trainers, but it made no move to get closer.

"Ewww, that thing stinks!" Clover whined, plugging her nose. "Leave it to Deka to fall in love with smelly things."

"Shhh, Clover. This little dude's been through a lot," Deka quieted his sister, ignoring her rude comment about himself.

"Hi, Koffing. My name is Free. This is Heather, Deka, and Clover. They're my friends," Free smiled at the forlorn Pokémon who began to sniffle at the word "friends."

"I can't believe anyone could be so cruel!" Heather said to the Koffing.

"Koffing…" Koffing nodded sadly, his eyes downcast.

"I know!" Deka shouted suddenly. "How would you like to come with me?"

"Koffing?" Koffing asked, his eyes lighting up for a second before they darted towards the ground again. He floated from side to side as if he was weighing his options.

"I understand you just got dumped, but not everybody is like that, Koffing!" Deka pleaded.

"Gosh, it sounds like he's asking it out on a date or something," Heather giggled to Free and Clover.

"Hey, Koffing. We have plenty of Pokémon for you to play with," Free replied, gesturing towards Chikorita who was resting on his shoulder.

"Chika!" Chikorita smiled, trying to reassure Koffing that they were a good bunch of people and Pokémon.

"Koffing," Koffing nodded. His tears had stopped and he seemed to be cheering up.

"How about you tag along for a while?" Deka asked Koffing. "We'll take care of you!"

"Koffing!" Koffing replied. He swayed up and down in the air as if jumping in excitement.

"Way to be strong!" Free smiled. "But guys, we need to get to the Radio Tower. We have to stop Team Rocket!"

At the sound of the words "Team Rocket," Koffing's face fell into a grimace.

"They're not good people, Koffing. They do bad things and hurt Pokémon, like you!" Clover tried to soothe the Pokémon, even though she had backed several feet away from him.

"Koffing!" Koffing nodded.

"So, are you coming?" Deka asked.

"Koffing!" Koffing replied, smiling. The trainers turned to each other and nodded before stepping into the city.

"I wonder if Spade is already there…" Free wondered aloud.

"Of course he is! He was way ahead of us," Heather replied. "I still can't help but wonder what's going on inside his head and why he's trying to stop them…"

"We'll find out in time, I'm sure," Free answered. "He seems to pop up more and more often around us. Every time, we learn a little bit more."

"Hey, it's intruders!" a voice screamed. The trainers turned immediately, locking eyes with two Team Rocket members. Koffing quickly floated behind Deka, hiding himself from the two Rockets.

"Get ready for a fight!" Heather said, grabbing her Poké Ball.

"Beedrill!" Deka called as he tossed out his Poké Ball. His bug-type Pokémon buzzed out of his Poké Ball. He swooped down at the Team Rocket members, causing them to flail around.

"Twineedle!"

Beedrill's giant needles started to glow. He jabbed them at the Team Rocket members, forcing them back. One of them tossed a Poké Ball into the air, a flying-type Pokémon emerging.

"Pidgeotto, use wing attack!" he screamed.

Pidgeotto quickly smashed his wings into Beedrill, tossing him to the ground. Beedrill recovered quickly, and prepared his attack.

"Poison sting!" Deka screeched. Beedrill flew forward, his needles glowing purple. He released his attack, prodding into the flying-type. Pidgeotto fell to the ground, but his trainer wasn't done.

"Get back up, Pidgeotto!" The Pokémon did as told, flying into the air. "Now, use air slash!" Pidgeotto darted forward, but Deka was quick.

"Bug buzz!" he screamed.

Pidgeotto was knocked back by Beedrill's attack, the waves from him flapping his wings as hard as he could strong enough to do damage.

"Now finish this with twineedle!"

Beedrill dove forward and jabbed into Pidgeotto's stomach. The flying-type fell to the ground, unable to continue.

"Let's get out of here, dude!" the other Team Rocket member told his partner. He nodded and returned his Pokémon. They turned and ran away.

Minutes passed and the trainers arrived at the Radio Tower. Two uniformed Rocket members stood guard at the entrance.

"Hey, no kids allowed around here," one of the Rocket members, a young man with spiky, brown hair, grunted at the trainers.

"No way!" Deka shouted angrily, throwing out Noctowl's Poké Ball.

"Hoo!" The Pokémon cried out, snapping its beak ferociously at the guards.

"Wh-what are you doin' kid?" He looked slightly alarmed, but he pulled out his Poké Ball along with the other Team Rocket guard. "Mankey, come on out!"

"Meowth!" The other guard, a middle-aged woman with greasy brown hair, threw out her Poké Ball.

"Teddiursa!" Free said, throwing his Pokémon out.

"Oddish!" Clover shouted, wanting to get in on the action.

"Girafarig!" Heather threw her Pokémon in as well.

"Ha! Now you're out numbered!" Free smirked at the trainers.

"We won't back down without fighting it out first!" The middle-aged guard sneered back.

"It's on!" Clover squealed.

"It's four against two," Free muttered to his friends. "There's no way they stand a chance."

"Meowth, faint attack," the woman ordered. Meowth licked its paw gently, then, without warning, slashed fiercely at Noctowl.

"Teddiursa, slash!" Free called out.

"Use psybeam on Mankey, Girafarig!" Heather added.

Girafarig lowered its head and shot rainbow rings of psychic energy at the fighting-type Mankey while Teddiursa took a swipe at Meowth.

"Jump back!" The two rocket members yelled. Their Pokémon responded quickly, dodging the attacks.

Clover looked at the battle with a worried look on her face, not knowing exactly what to do with her Oddish. Oddish looked back with the same anxious expression.

"Noctowl, wing attack!" Deka commanded. Noctowl swooped at the two white Pokémon and his great wing span knocked both to the ground. However, they easily stood back up.

"These weak attacks won't take our Pokémon down!" The boy team rocket guard snorted. "They've had much more training than yours."

"They do seem strong…" Heather muttered. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

"You have an idea?" Deka asked, noticing Heather's change in expression.

"Use Noctowl's hypnosis," she told Deka. "And Clover, use sleep powder on the count of three. One… two… three."

"Noctowl, hypnosis!" Deka shouted.

"Oddish, sleep powder," Clover said.

"Girafarig, you use hypnosis too!" Heather commanded.

"Teddiursa, come back!" Free ordered, realizing what they were doing. He didn't want Teddiursa to fall asleep.

The three Pokémon used their attacks at once, and before the Rocket members knew what hit them, they were fast asleep.

"Let's go!" Free said, stepping in through the Radio Tower doors.

* * *

><p>"This place is deserted," Clover whispered, looking around the empty second floor lobby. There was no sign Team Rocket had been inside this part of the building. The chairs and tables were in place and the front desk was all in order. A crash abruptly sounded from the floor above and something came tumbling down the staircase.<p>

"Infernape!" A red-headed boy charged down the stairs after the monkey-like Pokémon.

"Spade," Free said coolly.

"Don't have time to talk," Spade grunted, helping his Pokémon up and turning towards the stairs. Before he took the first step he turned back, his face scrunched as if he was in pain. "I'm going to need… help."

"We may have our differences, but we have one of the same goals," Heather nodded, understanding how hard it was for Spade to ask for help. She walked towards him and held out her hand. Spade shook it and his face relaxed into an almost smile.

"Come on, up the stairs, no time to lose," Deka glared at Spade and ushered the other four trainers and their Pokémon up the stairs.

"Wow, this must have been some fall for your Pokémon," Clover said, looking up at the endless stairs towards a light at the end. "Hey, your Monferno evolved!"

"Yeah," was Spade's only reply.

"Hey! He's coming back up," a girl's voice shouted from the doorway at the end of the stairs.

"Infernape, flamethrower!" Spade growled. Infernape opened his mouth wide and flames burst forth, shooting up the hallway. Screams were heard and the trainers raced up the stairs.

"Hey, are you crazy?" Free hit Spade's arm. "You can't just use flamethrower inside a building− you could burn down the place!"

"Better that then have Team Rocket in control," Spade replied.

"Where now? Heather asked when they reached the next room.

"Up," Spade replied. He looked quickly around the room, and seeing no Team Rocket members, he raced for the stairs. "The ones up here must have fled when I used flamethrower."

"Still lucky you didn't burn down the place…" Free muttered.

"No fighting right now!" Clover cried, hitting the two boys. Spade and Free glared at her, but they all continued up the stairs. Nobody was on that floor, so they headed to the next.

"From here on, we have to use the elevator," Spade said as they reached the fourth floor. The trainers stop when they saw a group of fifty or so Team Rocket members crowded around the elevator doors with the Radio Tower faculty tied up and knocked out beside them.

"Hey, who let you five in?" A familiar Rocket member, Jada, asked. "Wait, I know you. You're those little brats that are always showing up when we're trying to get things accomplished."

"Not doing much accomplishing with us around, eh?" Deka smirked. Heather hit him in the back of the head.

"We're gonna get in some deep trouble if you talk like that," Heather whispered.

"Are you sure he'll come back?" Spade asked, stepping forward. Infernape stood calmly by his side.

"What?" Jada hissed.

"Giovanni," Spade shrugged. "Have you guys called him?"

Jada smiled and turned up a radio that was on an office desk.

"Giovanni. These are your loyal Team Rocket members speaking. We have resurfaced and reunited in your honor! Come out of hiding and join us so we can regain our rightful place," a man's voice rang through the radio's static sound. The surrounding members chuckled and gave each other high fives.

"This is sick," Spade muttered, glaring at them.

"Since you're young, we'll let you go," Jada said. "So scram before take action."

"There's too many…" Clover cried quietly. Suddenly, the elevator let out a 'ding' and the doors slid open. The Team Rocket members parted and a man with short black hair and a black business suit stepped out. The members started to whisper.

"He's back…"

"It's really him."

"Giovanni!"

"Lookin' good, boss."

Giovanni stopped abruptly when his eyes landed on Spade.

"S-Spade?" His eyes narrowed and his mouth hung open.

"Hello, brother."

* * *

><p><strong>AN We're back! Kind of. Sorry for such a long waiting period. It has been an extremely rough past few weeks. I haven't felt like writing or really doing anything at all. But now I'm settled in, and I've started new projects! I also started a gaming channel on YouTube! If you're interested, send me a message.**


	66. Team Rocket Hustle: Part 2

"There's no way he's your brother! He's a whole lot older and balder than you!" Deka shouted, breaking the silence that followed Spade and Giovanni's meeting.

"Deka…" Free cautioned his friend before he said anything worse. Deka glared back at him, but quickly turned back around towards Team Rocket.

"What are you doing here?" Giovanni finally spoke.

"We were just leaving," Spade sneered.

Two Rocket members made their way towards Spade, blocking the group's path down the stairs.

"I don't think you are!" Jade laughed. "Let's get 'em!"

"I thought they were going to let us go?" Deka asked. He hid Clover behind him. "What happened to that?!"

Jade grinned. "Well, since we found Giovanni, we have to impress him. And there is no better way to do that then beating you!"

"Chikorita…" Free mumbled. His Pokémon stepped forward, prepared to battle.

Two Raticate appeared behind the group, causing Deka to grab a hold of his Poké Ball. Clover followed suit.

The two Raticate lunged forward before Deka and Clover could choose their Pokémon. But before the Raticate could do any damage, Infernape unleashed flames upon them. They dropped to the ground, burnt and unconscious.

Giovanni smiled. "Infernape is strong…"

A Sandslash and Parasect appeared in front of the group. Two Team Rocket members stared nervously at the group and back at Giovanni.

Free smiled at Spade. "We got this one!"

"Feraligatr, use Hydro Pump!" Heather said as she tossed her Poké Ball into the air. Feraligatr burst out of his Poké Ball and blew water out of his mouth. The water drenched over Team Rocket's Pokémon, weakening them.

"Finish it with Razor Leaf!" Free ordered.

Chikorita cried out, running up the length of Feraligatr's body and jumping onto his shoulder. She swung her head, releasing leaves into the air. The leaves sliced into Team Rocket's Pokémon. The Pokémon fell over, unable to continue.

"Pathetic…" Spade grumbled.

Clover smiled at Deka. "He's grumpier than you are, Deka!"

Jada stepped forward. "I won't let you down, Giovanni!" She released a Kadabra from her Poké Ball, the Pokémon glaring at Feraligatr.

"Confuse ray!" Jada ordered, but Heather was quick.

"Ice fang!"

Feraligatr lunged forward on all fours. He quickly grabbed a hold of Kadabra with his jaws, freezing the psychic Pokémon over.

"What?!" Jade screeched as she watched her Pokémon fall. She glanced over at Giovanni, his smug smile scaring her.

Two more Team Rocket members stepped forward, holding out Poké Balls.

"Enough!" Giovanni snapped. "Clearly none of you have been trained enough. My absence has made you weak."

The grunts lowered their Poké Balls, looks of disappointment on their faces.

Giovanni moved through the parting crowd, coming face to face with the group. Spade shifted back, looking ready to lunge forward.

"We will leave, as you have proven too strong for most of my forces," Giovanni stated calmly. He stepped back, examining the look of disbelief on the trainers' faces. "But don't get me wrong, this won't be the last time that you see us. Next time, we will be stronger. I will rebuild Team Rocket."

"Wait!" Spade screamed. But it was too late. A Team Rocket member threw a smoke bomb on the ground, filling the room with a black smoke. When it cleared, all of Team Rocket was gone. A few of the Radio Tower workers were lying unconscious on the floor.

"Yeah, take off you hosers!" Deka shouted into the clearing smoke.

"We won!" Free exclaimed proudly.

"No we didn't!" Spade snapped, his face red with rage. "I'm leaving!"

Sure enough, Spade and his Infernape turned to leave. The group followed, returning their Pokémon to their balls, Free picking up Chikorita, and followed him down the stairs and out of the building. The guards were still sleeping peacefully at the entrance to the Radio Tower, so the trainers kept running in case they woke soon and wanted revenge. Koffing, who had waited outside the Radio Tower, followed the trainers.

"I can't believe I was too late," Spade sobbed tearlessly as they reached a Pokémon Center. "I-I couldn't stop them."

"Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket, is your brother?" Free asked.

"Yes. And what they do is wrong!" Spade pounded a fist against the Pokémon Center wall. "What Giovanni does is wrong…"

"So, you were trying to stop them, right?" Deka asked stupidly, as if Spade's display of emotion was nothing.

"Yeah," Spade sighed. He ran a hand haphazardly through his red hair before slamming it into the wall once more in anger. "I should have stopped them earlier!"

"It's not your fault, Spade. There was a bad storm that prevented you from moving faster, and there were too many to stop," Free tried to reassure him.

"What do you think they'll do now?" Heather asked.

"Lay low. That's my brother's style," Spade said, hate in his voice. "At least for awhile they will."

"So they're really back together…" Heather mumbled, looking heartbroken. "Deka, Clover… I know we joined up to try and beat Team Rocket together, but it's all over now that they're back together. Free and I would understand if you two wanted to leave now…"

"What are you talking about?" Deka asked, an exasperated look on his face.

"Of course we're not going to leave you!" Clover smiled. "We're friends now."

"Well… That and we still haven't beaten Team Rocket," Deka joked. "Just because they're back in power doesn't mean that they've gained strength yet. We still stand a chance!"

"Yeah, you're right! We'll keep trying! We will just be stopping them from taking over the world instead of stopping them from getting back together!" Heather smiled.

"So you'll stay with us?" Free asked hopefully.

"Yeah, of course we will," Deka stuck out his hand. Free shook it. "We're too good of friends to split up."

Spade laughed dryly, "Friends? Who needs friends?"

"We'll be your friends," Heather offered slowly.

Spade paused, glancing at the smiling faces of the four other trainers. He shook his head angrily at the offer. "We'll never be friends if we can't have a proper match," Spade growled. "I'm leaving."

And like Spade said, he left. The trainers didn't follow him, they only watched.

"Koffing…" Koffing sniffled from behind Deka, choked up to see Spade go.

"Aw, Koffing. It's alright," Deka consoled the purple poison Pokémon. Koffing buried its face into Deka's back and sobbed.

"We're your friends," Deka turned and smiled. "And we'd like you to come with us."

"Koffing!" Koffing answered, now sure he trusted Deka. Deka held out a Poké Ball and Koffing pushed the button, capturing himself.

"Yay! I caught a Koffing!" Deka cheered, raising Koffing's ball in the air triumphantly.

"You shouldn't feel so victorious. After all, he chose to be captured," Clover smirked, trying to ruin her brother's fun. "You didn't really do anything!"

"Wow, it's getting dark out. We better get a room," Free noticed before he turned into the doors of the Pokémon Center. They slid open automatically and shut once each trainer had entered.

"One room for four, please," Free asked Nurse Joy.

"Sure thing! Room 101. First one on the left," Nurse Joy smiled, handing over a metal key.

"We have to get an early start tomorrow," Heather said as they made it down the hallway and opened their room door.

"Yeah, we've got to make it to Mahogany and get our next gym badge!" Free said excitedly.

"It's a long walk though," Heather replied. She was looking at the map on her PokéGear. "We have to go through Mt. Mortar."

"We're going in a mountain?" Clover asked suddenly. She gulped, "Isn't that going to be… dark?"

"Well don't worry about it now. We'll go back to Ecruteak tomorrow and rest there. Then we'll make it through Mt. Mortar!" Deka patted his sister's shoulder.

"Well, I'm going to bed now so we can get an early start," Free was lying on his bed, a blanket pulled up to his neck with Chikorita snuggled into his side.

"We should all get to bed, it's been a tough day," Heather murmured.

"Well, good night everybody," Deka shrugged, slipping off his shoes and hopping into bed.

"Good night."

* * *

><p><strong>AN And that is concluded!**

**Sorry I haven't updated in two months. I have been really uninspired, so I've accomplished nothing. I think once X and Y come out, things will change and I'll write a lot again.**


	67. Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Enemy!

**Free's Pokémon**

**Chikorita - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Vine Whip, Body Slam and Solarbeam (Only on occasion) - Level 45**

**Wooper - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Mud-Slap, Yawn, and Iron Tail - Level 36**

**Quilava - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Flame Wheel, Rollout, Flamethrower, and Smokescreen - Level 40**

**Umbreon - Ab: Synchonize - Moves: Dark Pulse, Quick Attack, Bite, and Shadow Ball - Level 38**

**Heracross - Ab: Moxie - Moves: Horn Attack, Aerial Ace, Brick Break, and Endure - Level 37**

**Teddiursa - Ab: Guts - Moves: Fury Swipes, Protect, Brick Break, and Slash - Level 37**

***With Elm***

**Poliwhirl - Ab: Damp - Moves: Dynamicpunch, Water Gun, Bubblebeam, and Hypnosis – Level 39**

**Chapter Sixty-Seven**

"Good morning, Nurse Joy!" The trainers heard a familiar voice from down the hallway just as they were leaving their room.

"Professor Elm! What a surprise!" Nurse Joy replied joyfully.

"Professor Elm!" Heather and Free shouted, running down the hall into the lobby where the professor stood patiently in front of the front desk.

"Free! Heather!" Professor Elm exclaimed. "What a pleasure to see you two again. Caught any interesting Pokémon?"

"We sure have! I've caught an Umbreon, a Heracross, a Teddiursa, a Quilava, and a Wooper," Free replied.

"And I have a Jolteon, an Ampharos, a Misdreavus, a Girafarig, and a Muk." Professor Elm made a face when Heather named off her last Pokémon.

"A Muk! Superb," he chuckled before his face became serious. "You two have Eevee evolutions?"

"Yes, sir," Heather and Free nodded.

"Splendid! Would either of you be willing to lend me your Pokémon for a bit of research?" Professor Elm asked. "I've been trying to research Eevee's irregular genetic code."

Heather and Free glanced at each other quickly before making up their minds.

"Sorry Professor, but I need Umbreon right now," Free replied. "But when I catch some new Pokémon, you can study him!"

"I have two electric Pokémon, so I should be okay without Jolteon for a while," Heather said, digging in her pocket for Jolteon's Poké Ball and released him from it.

"Hey, Jolteon!" Heather smiled at her Pokémon.

"Jolt, Jolt!" Jolteon replied happily.

"What a stunning Pokémon you are," Professor Elm said in awe, stooping down to Jolteon's level. "Would you like to help me with some research?"

Jolteon looked up at Heather who nodded. Jolteon looked back to Professor Elm and also nodded.

"Fabulous!" The professor replied.

"I'm going to miss you, Jolteon!" Heather sniffed, tears threatening to spill. "I'll see you soon, buddy—real soon—when I get to the Silver Conference."

Jolteon grinned at her, understanding. Heather returned him to his Poké Ball and handed it to Elm.

"Thank you so much," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Anytime, Professor," Heather wiped at her eyes.

"Shouldn't we get a move on?" Deka groaned, tired of the sappiness of the moment.

"Deka!" Clover slapped her brother's arm. "Can't you see she's having a _moment_?"

"Whatever. I just want to get a move on," Deka replied, walking towards the door. Everyone followed.

"Well, we'll see you Professor Elm!" Free called back through the Pokémon Center door right before he ran into someone.

"Watch where you're… Oh, hello Free," Lauren, dressed in normal clothes instead of her Team Rocket uniform, said.

"Lauren," Heather growled.

"Heather," Lauren mocked.

"Fight, fight, fight…" Deka murmured under his breath excitedly.

"We heard about Team Rocket coming back together, so why aren't you in uniform?" Heather asked, glaring her rival's chimp-like face.

"Mission. I heard they let you go," Lauren shrugged, still staring angrily at Heather. "But I'm not going to. How about a battle?"

"I'll win again," Heather chuckled. "But how about a one-on-one?"

"Fine by me! Go, Aipom," Lauren cried, reaching for a ball and tossing it into the street.

"Misdreavus, I choose you!" Heather yelled enthusiastically.

"What is she doing?" Clover squealed. "I thought ghost-type moves don't work on normal-types!"

"Misdreavus knows more the ghost-type moves. I bet she's hoping Aipom doesn't know anything that's not normal-type," Free nodded, knowing his friend well.

"Aipom, astonish!" Lauren called out.

"Is that all you've got?" Heather laughed as Aipom ran towards Misdreavus. "Misdreavus, dodge!"

"Misdreavus, Mis," Misdreavus chuckled before swooping out of the way of Aipom's attack.

"Drat! Try again!" Lauren called, knowing this was Aipom's only attack that could do any damage to Misdreavus.

"Psybeam!" Heather called. Misdreavus release rainbow colored waves of psychic energy, pushing Aipom back while damaging it.

"Hang in there, Aipom!" Lauren shouted. "Just get to Misdreavus!"

"She has no strategy," Deka shook his head, disappointed in the battle. "Heather has this in the bag."

"Sucker punch!" Heather commanded.

"That's a new move," Free nodded approvingly. "Although I'm not sure how Misdreavus can punch with no hands…"

Free's doubts were answered when a shadow-like fist emerged from Aipom and swiped at his face, knocking him down and out.

"Yeah! We did it!" Heather cheered, rushing over to hug Misdreavus.

"Humph!" Lauren snorted, returning Aipom to his Poké Ball. "Aipom just hasn't trained at all. This battle meant nothing."

"Maybe next time you should use someone with more experience and you won't get your butt kicked as fast next time!" Heather laughed, Misdreavus joining her.

Lauren scowled before she took off running, the four trainers watching her go.

Heather sighed, the adrenaline of a Pokémon battle fading quickly. "Well, we better get a move on."

* * *

><p><strong>AN So, I promise that from now on, I will post at least one chapter a week. Or at least I'll try. For now, the only story that I am going to be focusing on is Free and Heather's story. I'd rather this one get posted than the others seeing as I am very far ahead on this.**

**Q1) If I do post on any of my other stories, which would you want me to work on the most?**


	68. Freddy and the Lustrous Dunsparce

**Heather's Pokémon**

**Totodile - Ab: Torrent - Moves: Water Gun, Frost Breath, Rage, Headbutt, and Hydro Pump (Only on occasion) Level 44**

**Ampharos - Ab: Static - Moves: Thundershock, Charge, Thunder Bolt, and Discharge - Level 41**

**Muk - Ab: Sticky Hold - Moves: Sludge, Fire Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Sludge Bomb - Level 35**

**Misdreavus - Ab: Levitate - Moves: Shadow Ball, Psywave, Perish Song, and Pain Split - Level 36**

**Girafarig - Ab: Sap Sipper - Moves: Shadow Ball, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, and Energy Ball - Level 37**

**With Elm:**

**Chinchou - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Zap Cannon, Water Pulse – Level 35**

**Jolteon - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thundershock, Pin Missile, Sand-Attack, and Double Kick - Level 37**

**Chapter Sixty-Eight**

After our heroes have come to terms with the resurrection of Team Rocket and the knowledge that the situation is out of their hands for now, we find them eagerly passing Ecruteak City and on their way to Mount Mortar.

"Route 42!" Heather announced, squinting at the tiny screen on her PokéGear. "Look at Mt. Mortar! Isn't it beautiful now that we're closer?"

"Yeah, but I just want to get to Mahogany and get a Rage Candy Bar," Deka sighed loudly, stretching his arms above his head.

"Shh!" A voice called out from within the trees.

"Oh my gosh! What was that!?" Clover squealed, looking around quickly.

"Don't you understand 'shh?'" A boy around the trainers' own age, but a lot taller than any of them, stepped out onto the path. He had short, black hair and glasses. In his hand, he held a Poké Ball.

"You scared Clover," Free frowned, pointing at his blonde friend.

"Sorry, Clover," the boy said, bowing his head towards the girl before turning to the rest of the group. "My name is Freddy. I'm hunting after the greatest, most elusive Pokémon I have ever laid my eyes upon—the luxurious Dunsparce!"

"Dunsparce?" The trainers asked at the same time, confused.

"What's so luxurious about a Dunsparce?" Deka asked.

"They're pretty useless…" Free added.

Freddy gasped. "How could you call something as rare and majestic as a Dunsparce useless?"

"Majestic?" Heather grimaced. She personally didn't think Dunsparce could be considered majestic.

"Rare! Wow," Clover said excitedly. "Are you, like, hunting it?"

"Yes! I hope one day to be a Pokémon Doctor, but I search for rare Pokémon on the side," Freddy nodded. "And I have finally found the one Pokémon that piques my interest for the rarest and most awe-inspiring of them all—Dunsparce."

"Well, where is it then?" Heather asked, looking around at the ground.

"I was about to capture it when you four came storming and screaming down the path. Then, it got scared and burrowed underground," Freddy sighed, glaring at the trainers.

"Dwudi-gig-gig-gig," a soft voice called from behind the trainers. They turned around swiftly, puzzled at the strange noise.

"Dunsparce, wait! Let me catch you!" Freddy called out right before the Pokémon ducked back into the ground but not before Free pulled out his Pokédex.

"Dunsparce, the Land Snake Pokémon. Normal-type. When discovered, the Dunsparce uses its tail to burrow into the earth and evade capture."

"I can't believe he got away again!" Freddy kicked at the ground angrily.

"We could help you," Heather shrugged right as Deka opened his mouth to say that they couldn't help and they had to get going.

"I… hate all of you," Deka murmured to himself.

"Really?" Freddy asked, his eyes opening wide.

"Really," Free replied, grabbing for a Poké Ball. "I have an idea. Teddiursa, come on out."

"Ur…?" His small bear Pokémon stuck a paw in her mouth, questioning why she was out of her ball.

"Teddiursa are good at finding honey, so maybe mine could sniff out a Dunsparce?" Free scratched his head, now doubting that his idea was a good one.

"I have a piece of shed Dunsparce skin in my bag," Freddy said, eagerly pulling out a plastic bag with the shed skin from the bag on his back. He pulled out the skin and handed it to Teddiursa. She took it in her paw and sniffed at it, her face scrunching up in disgust, then pointed into the forest.

"That way?" Free asked. Teddiursa nodded.

Sure enough, Dunsparce was just behind a few of the trees.

"Oh glorious Dunsparce, I am prepared to battle you," Freddy said, grabbing a Poké Ball off of his belt. "I want to capture you!"

"Dwudi-gig, dwudi-gig-gig," Dunsparce replied, coming out of his burrow fully, accepting Freddy's challenge.

"Go, Croconaw."

"He has a Croconaw!" Heather whispered excitedly, lightly punching Free in the arm.

"Croconaw, water gun!" Freddy ordered. Croconaw opened his mouth and shot out a powerful jet of water at Dunsparce. Dunsparce rolled into a ball and charged right into the water, dispersing it, and ran into Croconaw.

"That was a strong rollout attack," Deka noted.

"Alright, ice fang!" Freddy countered while Dunsparce was still close. Croconaw latched his jaw onto Dunsparce and soon the Pokémon was frozen solid.

"Now to capture His Majesty," Freddy mumbled, getting out an empty Poké Ball and tossing it at the frozen Pokémon. The ball rocked a few times, but because Dunsparce was frozen, the Pokémon couldn't escape and the capture was complete.

"Yes, I have finally caught the most indescribably breathtaking Pokémon that has ever roamed the face of the planet!" Freddy called. "Dunsparce! Dwudi-gig-gig!"

"This guy is a little weird…" Clover whispered to her brother.

"Yet mildly entertaining," Deka chuckled back.

"I want to thank you for your help," Freddy hugged Free. "But I must get going. Maybe we'll see each other again someday and you can assist me with the capture of another great Pokémon."

The trainers said good bye, and with that, they set off in opposite directions. Freddy left to train with his Dunsparce and the four to Mount Mortar.

* * *

><p><strong>AN This is easily one of my favorite chapters! I hope that you also enjoyed it!**


	69. Princess Sneasel

**Heather's Pokémon**

**Totodile - Ab: Torrent - Moves: Water Gun, Frost Breath, Rage, Headbutt, and Hydro Pump (Only on occasion) Level 44**

**Ampharos - Ab: Static - Moves: Thundershock, Charge, Thunder Bolt, and Discharge - Level 41**

**Muk - Ab: Sticky Hold - Moves: Sludge, Fire Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Sludge Bomb - Level 35**

**Misdreavus - Ab: Levitate - Moves: Shadow Ball, Psywave, Perish Song, and Pain Split - Level 36**

**Girafarig - Ab: Sap Sipper - Moves: Shadow Ball, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, and Energy Ball - Level 37**

**With Elm:**

**Chinchou - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Zap Cannon, Water Pulse – Level 35**

**Jolteon - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thundershock, Pin Missile, Sand-Attack, and Double Kick - Level 37**

* * *

><p>Chapter 69 - Princess Sneasel<p>

The sun was beginning to set as the trainers began to approach the foot of Mount Mortar, and Clover was ready to call it quits.

"Guys, I'm tired," she whined, stopping in place and yawning.

"Just a little farther, Clover," Deka replied, nudging his sister along.

"We're almost there!" Heather cheered. "We just have to make it to the entrance to the path through it, and we'll set up camp there!"

Suddenly, a black blur darted across the trainers' path and into nearby bushes, startling them.

"What was that?" Free asked, more curious than frightened.

"It could be a Pokémon!" Heather whispered.

"Oh no, what if it wants to eat us?" Clover wailed as Deka methodically pulled her face into his chest to shush her.

"Sneasel!" The black blur stepped out of the bushes, unafraid.

"Whoa," Free said, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Sneasel, the Sharp Claw Pokémon. Dual dark and ice-type. Its paws conceal sharp claws. This cunning Pokémon hides in the cover of darkness, waiting to attack its prey," the Pokédex read.

"It's dark! We must be its prey!" Clover panicked, her voice muffled in her brother's chest.

"Weavile!" Another shadowy figure stepped out on the other side of the trainers and looked around, sniffing.

"Weavile, the Sharp Claw Pokémon. Dual dark and ice-type. Weavile is the evolved form of Sneasel. Weavile form groups that hunt prey with impressive coordination. It is said to be extremely intelligent and its sharp eyes see everything." Free stuffed away the Pokédex the second it was done reading.

Sneasel dashed behind the trainers as Weavile continued to look around. Weavile glanced up, glared at the trainers, and ran back off of the path into the trees.

"Sneasel," the Sneasel sighed once Weavile was out of sight, walking out from behind the trainers. Now that she was up close, they saw a small ring of thorny vines was placed on top of her head like a crown.

"Why did you hide from that Weavile, Sneasel?" Heather asked.

Sneasel looked up at her and quickly looked away, not responding. She flinched suddenly and sniffed the air.

"Weavile, Weavile!" Several Pokémon growled from the shadows around the trainers.

"Sneasel, Sneasel!" Several more voices called, sounding younger than the Weavile.

The cat and weasel-like Pokémon began to close in around the trainers and Sneasel, who stepped in front of them. The other Sneasel stayed in the trees while the Weavile formed a circle.

"Sneasel!" The crowned Sneasel barked at the trainers, gesturing for them to get out of the way.

"Weavile, Wea." One of the Weavile stepped forward. He was scarred across the forehead and a crown similar to the one Sneasel wore sat upon his head. "Wea, Weavile."

"Sneasel, Snea," Sneasel seemed to be arguing with him. She crossed her arms while a dark energy surrounded the ground around her feet.

"It's like he's the king," Free murmured to his friends who were now watching cautiously from outside their ring.

"And that Sneasel is a princess, or a queen?" Heather asked.

"I don't know," Deka whispered. "Could be either."

"Weavile," the Pokémon's conversation continued, but when Weavile tried to take a step closer to Sneasel, his paws outstretched, she released the dark energy, throwing him back slightly but not damaging him.

"Wea… Weavile," a voice lower than the rest of the Pokémon called from outside the circle, opposite of the trainers. A bigger and older Weavile with a crown made of branches on top of fraying feathers stepped into the circled behind Sneasel. He held a claw-like object that looked very sharp. Sneasel turned around quickly and glared.

"Sneasel, Sneasel!" She called out angrily.

"Gee, I wish we could understand what they were saying," Clover mumbled as Sneasel took the crown from her head and threw it at the ground.

"He's holding a razor claw," Free nodded, everything starting to make sense to him. "They're trying to make Sneasel evolve. What if Sneasel doesn't want to evolve? What if she's like next in line for the throne but she can't have it until she evolves?"

"Weavile!" The older Weavile shouted, about to lash out at Sneasel with the razor claw.

"Stop it!" Heather called out suddenly, running into the circle to defend Sneasel. "You can't force her to evolve!"

"Wea, Wea, Weavile!" The Pokémon snickered around her.

"Weavile?" The king Weavile sounded angry and seemed to be asking "Why not?"

"She doesn't want to, do you Sneasel? But you have to if you want your crown and you don't want it, do you?" Heather asked. Sneasel nodded sadly and glanced at the Weavile she had attacked. He looked longingly at Sneasel, love in his eyes but she just looked back in loathing. "And you have to be with this Weavile to be queen?"

"Sneasel," Sneasel nodded again.

"I'll help you fight them," Heather said, holding her hand out to Sneasel. She looked up to Heather hopefully and placed her paw in it and they shook hands.

"Alright! Go, Ampharos!" Heather threw her Poké Ball. "Use thunderbolt on the Weavile!"

Ampharos let out a bolt of electricity, spreading out and contacting with the Weavile while Sneasel charged in for hand-to-hand, or rather claw-to claw, combat. After a few more attacks, the Weavile began to back off and only the king Weavile remained lying in front of Sneasel, bruised and beaten by her.

"Sneasel!" She shouted. "Sneasel, Snea?"

"Wea…" The king groaned, agreeing with whatever Sneasel had asked. He pulled himself up slowly and lumbered off into the trees.

"Sneasel…" Sneasel turned to Heather and looked at her admiringly.

"You're free now, Sneasel. Isn't that great?" Heather asked, smiling.

"Sneasel!" Sneasel agreed.

"Well, it was nice to help you out," Heather said. "But my friends and I need to find somewhere to sleep tonight.

"Sneasel?" Sneasel questioned, tilting her head before her eyes lit up. She gestured for the trainers to follow her. They had to run after her because she moved at such great speed through the trees. Soon they game to a grassy, protected area, perfect for camping out.

"Wow, thank you, Sneasel!" Heather said.

"Sneasel…" Sneasel replied, rubbing the back of her head like it was no problem.

"Well, it's great to have met you," Heather sighed.

"Sneasel," Sneasel said prodding at Heather's bag.

"What is it?" Heather asked, opening her bag. "You don't want food, do you? We don't have any extra."

"Sneasel!" Sneasel shook her head furiously and rummaged through the bag. Sneasel pulled out Heather's unused Luxury Ball and handed it to her. Sneasel winced as if she expected Heather to throw it hard at her.

"Do you want to come with me, Sneasel?" Heather asked. Sneasel nodded. Heather smiled and pushed the button on the ball to Sneasel's head. The ball engulfed her and as soon as it signaled Sneasel had been captured, the ball opened and Sneasel came out, grinning.

"Sneasel!"

"I guess she doesn't like her Poké Ball, just like Chikorita," Free commented. "And I'm sure after gaining her freedom, she wants the freedom of exploring with us."

"Yay! We have a new exploring buddy," Clover cheered sleepily. "Now let's all go to bed…"


	70. Clover's Big Break

**Clover's Pokémon**

**Torchic - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Ember, Scratch, Flamethrower, and Focus Energy - Level 30**

**Bagon - Ab: Rock Head - Moves: Headbutt, Dragonbreath, Ember, and Bite - Level 33**

**Swablu - Ab: Natural Cure - Moves: Peck, Sing, Astonish, and Fury Attack - Level 24**

**Espeon - Ab: Synchronize - Moves: Helping Hand, Confusion, Quick Attack, and Swift - Level 28**

**Poliwag - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, and Doubleslap - Level 24**

**Oddish - Ab: Chlorophyll - Moves: Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Acid, and Absorb - Level 24**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventy - Clover's Big Break<strong>

"Ohh, what pretty green rocks!" Clover cooed as they stepped into Mt. Mortar the morning after Heather caught Sneasel. Shiny green crystals lined the wall of the cave path through the mountain. "They're so shiny!"

"They are pretty cool, sis. Actually, it'd be awesome to have one. I bet you could make a nice necklace," Deka said.

"I want one…" Clover muttered, poking at a rock on the wall.

Heather pulled, pushed, and tugged on a smaller crystal, but it wouldn't break off. "Wow, they're really stuck in there."

"Sneasel!" Sneasel cried, slashing at a few pieces with her sharp claws and failing.

"Let me try," Free said, also trying to break off one of the crystals and failing. "Hm… They are really strong."

Clover made a pouty face and poked at the crystals before her eyes lit up and she ran down the path deeper into the mountain.

"Follow me, guys! I have an idea!" Her voice echoed throughout the cave. The three others hurried after and stopped when they reached Clover who was staring at a huge cavern full of the green crystals.

"Sparkle, sparkle," Heather mumbled, bemused at the sight.

"Bagon, headbutt!" Clover called out, throwing her Poké Ball. "Break off some crystals for me, pretty please?"

"Bagon," Bagon replied before lowering his head and charging at the wall. Bagon's hit to the wall caused the cavern to rumble like thunder and the trainers covered their eyes for protection as the green crystals shattered onto the ground.

Clover hurried and picked up some pieces, stuffing them into her pockets and bag.

"Um, excuse me!" A boy called from behind the trainers. He had a lisp and there was no politeness in his voice.

"Huh?" The trainers asked at once, turning to search for the source of the voice.

"My name is Free! This is Heather, Deka, and Clover. What's your name?" Free asked the boy, trying to smile. The boy glared at him but didn't speak.

"Hello!" Heather smiled cheerily, but the boy still said nothing.

"Ahem, well, sorry, but we must be going now," Deka said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. He was uncomfortable under the boy's stare.

"Anson. Anson ReMoray is my name. You guys disturbed my training with Pupitar," he whined.

"Well, sorry," Clover answered, just as rudely as Anson had been earlier. "I wanted pretty crystals."

"But you disturbed my peace," Anson complained. "It was just me and Pupitar."

"I thought we disturbed your training," Deka smirked. He didn't like Anson's attitude.

"You know, I don't like your attitude!" Clover yelled, her mindset the same as her brother's. "If you want to train, then have a battle with me. If I win, you have to go sulk all alone with your Pupitar away from us."

"And if I win?" Anson asked.

"I'll apologize!" Clover's fake smiled sweetly, looking half deranged.

"All right then, I accept your challenge," Anson nodded, throwing out his Poké Ball.

A large, gray Pokémon encased in a hard shell emerged. He had a grumpy look on his face.

"Bagon, we got to beat him," Clover whispered to her Pokémon. "Get out there! You can do it!"

"Pupitar, the Hard Shell Pokémon. Dual rock and ground-type. Pupitar is the evolved form of Larvitar. Pupitar creates a gas inside its body that it compresses and forcefully ejects to propel itself like a jet. Its shell is as hard as sheet rock, and it is also very strong. Its thrashing can topple a mountain," Free's Pokédex read.

"Pupitar, thrash!" Anson called out, wanting to make the first move.

"Pupitar!" Pupitar yelled before he began to bounce his body around, knocking Bagon every which way.

"That's got to be bad for Bagon," Free muttered. "My Pokédex said Pupitar's thrashing can topple mountains…"

"Bagon!" Clover cried helplessly. Eventually Pupitar stopped and stumbled slightly and Bagon lay motionless on the ground. "Oh good, Pupitar is confused now, Bagon!"

"Ba… gon…" Bagon groaned before pushing himself up to battle more. He began to glow a bright white and his body morphed into a more circular shape.

"Whoa, what's that?" Free asked, pulling out his Pokédex again.

"Shelgon, the Endurance Pokémon. Dragon-type. Shelgon is the evolved form of Bagon. Covering Shelgon's body are outgrowths much like bones. The shell is very hard and bounces off enemy attacks. When awaiting evolution, this Pokémon hides away in a cavern."

"Ha, we're in a cavern right now," Deka laughed to himself.

"Shelgon, use ember!" Clover ordered, unfazed by her Pokémon's sudden evolution. Shelgon spouted hot flames that danced towards Pupitar.

"Pupitar, sandstorm," Anson tried to give his confused Pokémon a command. Pupitar stumbled a bit before spinning around quickly, kicking up sand and rocks from the cavern floor. The storm engulfed Shelgon, blocking him from sight.

"Shelgon, you have to get out of there!" Clover called out. "Use protect!"

A bright white light shone from within the dust tornado, breaking up the storm. The sand and rock fell back to the cave floor.

"Now use dragon rage!" Clover commanded. A huge purple and black ball of energy formed in front of Shelgon. He tackled the ball and it flung towards Pupitar, surrounding him and exploding.

"Pupitar!" Anson rushed to his Pokémon's side once the energy had disbanded. He knew the battle was over.

"Ha! We win! My Shelgon is awesome," Clover bragged. "Now you have to bother someone else!"

Anson scowled at the trainers as he returned Pupitar to its Poké Ball.

"My training to be the strongest ever isn't over yet," he muttered to himself, his lisp continuous throughout his speech. "But you won, so it's over here. But I'll beat you someday, I swear it!"

"Whatever! Bye bye!" Clover called out while laughing as Anson moped away."

"I feel like we were mean for a while," Heather grimaced. "I kind of feel bad."

"Don't feel bad, Heather," Free said, putting an arm around his friend's shoulder. "Only Deka and Clover were mean, not you!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN And another update! Sorry for not updating. Been busy. I'm finally finding some free time. Hooray!**


	71. Right! Left!

**Free's Pokémon**

**Chikorita - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Vine Whip, Body Slam and Solarbeam (Only on occasion) - Level 45**

**Wooper - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Mud-Slap, Yawn, and Iron Tail - Level 36**

**Quilava - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Flame Wheel, Rollout, Flamethrower, and Smokescreen - Level 40**

**Umbreon - Ab: Synchonize - Moves: Dark Pulse, Quick Attack, Bite, and Shadow Ball - Level 38**

**Heracross - Ab: Moxie - Moves: Horn Attack, Aerial Ace, Brick Break, and Endure - Level 37**

**Teddiursa - Ab: Guts - Moves: Fury Swipes, Protect, Brick Break, and Slash - Level 37**

***With Elm***

**Poliwhirl - Ab: Damp - Moves: Dynamicpunch, Water Gun, Bubblebeam, and Hypnosis – Level 39**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventy-One - Right! Left!<strong>

"Guys, there's a fork in the path!" Heather announced, looking ahead in the cave tunnels. "My PokéGear doesn't say which way to go either."

"Well, I say we take the right tunnel," Free said as the trainers loomed closer.

"That's funny, Free, because I think we should take the left tunnel," Deka smirked.

"Right."

"Left!"

"Right!"

"Left."

Suddenly, the tunnel to the left started to rumble as did the tunnel the four trainers were currently in. Free and Deka stopped arguing and peered down the left tunnel as a large grey shape came thundering towards them.

"Look what you guys did! You made the cave angry!" Clover cried, clinging to her brother's arm.

"Rooooaaaaar!" The object down the left tunnel called out, still heading straight for them.

"It's an Onix!" Heather cried. "You twos' arguing probably made it cranky!"

"Well, then it's both of our duty to fight it off!" Free said, grabbing a Poké Ball. "Go, Heracross!"

"Heracross!" The Pokémon chanted.

"No way! That Onix looks angry," Deka backed away, refusing to battle.

"I guess I can take care of it myself, then," Free sighed before putting on his battle face and giving an order. "Heracross, use megahorn!"

"Heracross," Heracross replied, charging at the speeding Onix.

The cave shook all the while. Onix charged right into Heracross, knocking it back. Onix stopped and roared at the trainers. Heracross managed to hop back up, even after the massive rock snake's blow.

"All right, try your brick break attack!" Free commanded.

"Hera! Heracross!" Heracross responded, once again charging at Onix and hitting him hard on the head.

Onix groaned in pain before opening its mouth and screeching.

"Cover your ears!" Deka yelled, but no one heard him over Onix's screech.

When Onix stopped, Heracross was cringing. Onix took a lunge at the bug Pokémon and knocked him down. Heracross was unable to battle.

"Heracross, return!" Free shouted. "Go, Umbreon!"

"Bre!" Umbreon cried, ready for battle.

"Umbreon, quick attack!" Free ordered.

Umbreon dashed into Onix, and pushed the Pokémon back down the tunnel an inch.

"Bre?" Umbreon said, realizing the attack didn't do much.

"That didn't do much at all…" Free murmured. "Try shadow ball!"

Opening his mouth, Umbreon formed a ball of shadowy energy within it. With a shake of his head, he flung the swirling mass at the opponent. Onix let out another roar as he was hit and he flung a rock from the cave wall at Umbreon, who dodged automatically.

"Dark pulse!" Free called out.

Umbreon nodded his head and let a burst of dark energy encompass him. In an instant, the ball flattened to the ground, releasing ripples of dark energy. Onix cringed as the waves washed over him.

When the attack died, Onix lay with its eyes closed.

"Poké Ball, go!" Free shouted, throwing a ball which struck Onix's forehead before the light engulfed him. The ball wriggled for a very long time until it finally let out its customary "ding" sound.

Free sighed in relief and pulled out his Pokédex. "Now that the Onix isn't going to kill us, I can check its data."

"Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon. Dual rock and ground-types. It rapidly bores through the ground at 50 mph by squirming and twisting its massive, rugged body. It always eats while burrowing"

"I told you we should go down the right path!" Deka replied. "That Onix could have eaten us!"

"Hey! I was the one who said to go down the right path…" Free mumbled.

"Stop being stupid, Deka. It wasn't burrowing!" Clover shouted, hitting her brother. "It was just a really angry Pokémon.

"Well, we still have to get a move on. Hopefully nothing is down this tunnel," Heather sighed before the trainers began to move once again towards Mahogany town.

* * *

><p><strong>AN It's another chapter! I haven't been too busy these past few days, so I've actually been writing a lot. I think that next semester, things will be easier. Also, I really want to get the newer chapters done soon.**


	72. The Blue Mediator

**Deka's Pokémon**

**Ivysaur - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, PoisonPowder, and Leech Seed - Level 31**

**Scyther - Ab: Technician - Moves: Fury Cutter, Quick Attack, False Swipe, and Wing Attack - Level 28**

**Noctowl - Ab: Keen Eye - Moves: Wing Attack, Hypnosis, Peck, and Confusion - Level 23**

**Beedrill – Ab: Swarm – Moves: Fury Attack, Twineedle, Rage, and Focus Energy**

**Sudowoodo: Ab: Sturdy - Moves: Mimic, Low Kick, Rock Throw, and Slam – Level 25**

***With Professor Oak***

**Eevee - Ab: Run Away - Moves: Tackle, Sand-Attack, and Quick Attack - Level 15**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventy-Two - The Blue Mediator<strong>

"I'm so tired!" Deka screamed into the hollow cavern the trainers were treading through. He let out a large sigh and sat down on a rock.

Zubat were startled by Deka's screams and they beat their wings angrily, bumping into each other and the cave ceiling.

"Let's take a break then!" Free screamed back, equally as annoyed. He grabbed for all his Poké Balls and let every one of his Pokémon out. "It's a good time for you guys to stretch and relax. Heather, Deka, Clover, maybe you should let your Pokémon out too."

"Right," the others agreed, digging for their Poké Balls and releasing their Pokémon.

"We're taking a break, guys!" Heather told the Pokémon before pulling a bag of PokéChow out of her bag and pouring it into bowls that Clover had retrieved from her own bag.

After eating, a few of the Pokémon got up to play while others laid around and even fewer got up to train by themselves, two of them being Free's Quilava and Deka's Scyther.

The trainers weren't paying attention when the fight started between the two. They had been casually discussing plans of travel for the next few weeks and planning for the upcoming gym battles.

Quilava had been practicing flamethrower on a rock, heating it until it glowed red and bubbled. Scyther was looking for a way to train, but knew if he ran one of his bladed arms through one of the cave's boulders, it would only dull the blades. So he asked Quilava to help him train.

As Scyther walked up behind Quilava, Quilava twisted around and let out a warning growl. His eyes widened then his scarred eye squeezed shut as if in pain. In his mind, a Scyther had lunged at him, swinging for his good eye, trying to take it too. In reaction to the false image, Quilava let out a burst of fire from his mouth, scorching Scyther.

Scyther, who had a normally laid-back attitude, fumed, and took a real swipe at Quilava. Quilava jumped back, sending another blast of fire towards the bug-type.

By then, the trainers had caught on.

"Whoa! Scyther!" Deka called. "What's going on over there?"

"Return your Pokémon!" Free shouted, before holding out Quilava's ball and trying to return him. The red beam engulfed Quilava, but he fought against it and charged against Scyther. Free glanced at Deka who was also having trouble returning Scyther.

"Oh no! What are you guys going to do if you can't return them?" Heather asked in horror. She had never seen two Pokémon go at it so violently.

"Cherry, vine whip," a voice echoed throughout the cave over the sounds of Scyther and Quilava's battle.

The trainers looked around confused as thick, dark green vines shot out towards the two Pokémon, wrapping around them and holding them apart. Once the trainers spotted the trainer responsible, they gasped.

"It's a hobo with a Venusaur!" Clover shrieked, hiding behind her brother.

"Wh-what? I'm not a hobo…" the trainer replied, rubbing a scruffy beard.

"Wait a minute… did you say Cherry?" Deka asked cautiously, eyeing the Venusaur. He squinted at the accused hobo as if he was trying to see him better. Finally, his eyes widened in realization.

"You're Azul, from Pallet Town!" Deka cried, running up to the strange trainer. "I can't believe it! I never thought a champion would be lounging around Mt. Mortar! Can I have your autograph? I'm from Pallet Town too! You're my idol!"

"Me too!" Heather shouted.

"And me!" Free added.

"I would like your autograph, too, and I'm sorry for calling you a hobo," Clover said, peeking out from behind Deka.

"Uh, sure," Azul answered sheepishly. The other trainers squealed with delight and excitement once Deka had recognized who Azul was. "Anything for an aspiring trainer!"

"Venus, Venusaur!" Cherry groaned, reminding Azul that she was holding two irritated Pokémon.

"Oh, that's right. What's going on with your Pokémon? It seems you lost control," Azul stated, eyeing Free's Quilava and Deka's Scyther.

"We actually don't know what happened," Free explained nervously, ruffling his hair. "We had let our Pokémon out to relax and play a little while we rested as well. Then, out of nowhere, they started fighting."

"Hmm…" Azul grunted, walking up to Scyther, still in the tight bind of Cherry's vines. "What's wrong, Scyther?"

"Scyther!" Scyther screeched. "Scyther, Scyther!"

"I see. Quilava attacked you rather aggressively after you offered to help him train? Is this true, Quilava?" Azul asked.

"Qui…" Quilava moaned, still wriggling and trying to escape. "Quilava…"

"Quilava is saying Scyther attacked him from behind," Azul said slowly, catching sight of Quilava's scarred eye. "What happened to your eye, Quilava?"

"Quilava! Qui, Quilava!" Quilava yelled, answering Azul, whose face lit in surprise.

"It seems Quilava was once attacked by a Scyther. It gave him that slash through his eye," Azul explained to the trainers. "Is that why you reacted the way you did, Quilava?"

"Qui…" Quilava answered, bowing his head.

"Scyther, you did nothing wrong," Azul turned to Scyther. "You just spooked Quilava. He's had a bad experience with a Scyther.

"Scyther?" Scyther asked, sounding apologetic, looking at Quilava. Quilava nodded slowly.

"Quilava," Quilava replied, also sounding apologetic.

"There! Now that you've both apologized, and without any push to get to that point, you are both free to go!" Azul smiled. Cherry withdrew her vines and smiled as well.

"Whoa! You really are as amazing as everyone says you are!" Free grinned as Quilava scrambled back to him.

"Yeah, why would you go into hiding?" Deka added, putting an arm around his Scyther.

"Hiding?" Free, Heather, and Clover exclaimed. Azul looked embarrassed.

"Yeah… it's a long story," Azul replied.


	73. Reaching for Indigo?

**Free's Pokémon**

**Chikorita - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Vine Whip, Body Slam and Solarbeam (Only on occasion) - Level 47**

**Wooper - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Mud-Slap, Yawn, and Iron Tail - Level 39**

**Quilava - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Flame Wheel, Rollout, Flamethrower, and Smokescreen - Level 45**

**Umbreon - Ab: Synchonize - Moves: Dark Pulse, Quick Attack, Bite, and Shadow Ball - Level 43**

**Heracross - Ab: Moxie - Moves: MegaHorn, Aerial Ace, Brick Break, and Endure - Level 42**

**Teddiursa - Ab: Guts - Moves: Fury Swipes, Protect, Brick Break, and Slash - Level 42**

***With Elm***

**Poliwhirl - Ab: Damp - Moves: Dynamicpunch, Water Gun, Bubblebeam, and Hypnosis – Level 39**

**Onix - Ab: Sturdy - Moves: Dragonbreath, Rock Slide, Screech, and Bide - Level 45**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventy-Three - Reaching for Indigo?<strong>

**A/N Warning, this chapter contains major spoilers for Reaching for Indigo. If you choose to skip this chapter, it is possible to go on with the story without this one. Read at your own discretion.**

"We have time," Deka replied. He was eager to hear Azul's story. No one had seen the former champion in five and a half years.

Azul laughed nervously and scratched Cherry on the head gently.

"Well, as I said, I went into hiding—"

"To grow out your beard?!" Clover exclaimed, interrupting Azul.

Azul felt at his chin and cheeks, all the while looking very much like he hadn't realized he had any facial hair. Finally, he laughed at the little girl's comment. He hadn't minded the interruption; Azul had grown patient during his time away from the world.

"No. Not to grow out my beard, uh…" Azul trailed off, thinking it would be rude to call the young blonde girl "Girl with the Swablu on Your Head." "I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Clover…" Clover said shyly before she introduced the others. "This is my brother Deka, and my friends Heather and Free."

"Nice to meet all of you. Now, where was I…?" Azul asked, now lost in thought.

"You were going to tell us why you've been hiding," Deka urged.

"Oh. That's right. Well, it started when I was about to get my eighth gym badge in Viridian City. I walked in the gym with my friend Jaune to find Team Rocket members crowding the gym leader, Giovanni," Azul explained.

"Giovanni? Isn't the head of Team Rocket's name Giovanni?" Free asked, putting two and two together.

"Right," Azul said before continuing. "Well, I fought Team Rocket off and Giovanni played innocent like he hadn't been involved with them and gave me my gym badge for 'saving' him."

"What did you do after that?" Heather asked, for Azul had paused, looking thoughtful again.

"Uh, I competed in the Indigo League. At the end, Team Rocket attacked. Of course, I fought, but then I found Giovanni was the leader of Team Rocket and he had tricked me. I thought I had been helping him. I was…" Azul trailed off as if searching for the right word, "I was ashamed that I didn't stop him right there. I couldn't face the truth, so I went into hiding. Since then, I've trained my Pokémon and caught some new ones and trained with them too."

"Wow…" The four young trainers whispered together.

"And are you still going to hide?" Deka asked. "You should compete in another league!"

"Well, actually, I'm going to be competing in the Silver Conference," Azul said timidly. "I heard Team Rocket has been reforming, and I want to stop them for good this time. By competing in the Silver Conference, I want to prove to myself I am stronger and that I can do it this time."

"There go our chances of winning…" Heather mumbled. "Free and I are going to be competing in the Silver Conference. We are about to get our seventh badge!"

"Don't give up hope, Heather. You have seven gym badges for a reason. You must be strong," Azul smiled at her. He glanced at Sneasel who stood next to Heather and Chikorita, who was next to Free. "And you both must have a strong bond with your Pokémon for them to want to be out with you like that."

Free and Heather grinned at each other, feeling great that they had been complimented by a Pokémon League champion.

"So I take it that you're heading to the Mahogany gym?" Azul asked. "Pryce is the leader, right? He has ice-types?"

"Yeah! He's my grandpa," Heather said proudly. Azul grinned at her.

"Well, I might just have to tag along to watch," Azul replied, tugging on his beard and smiling still. Heather and Free nodded eagerly. "It might be a good idea to stop at a Pokémon Center and shave this thing off, too."

The younger trainers laughed, as did Azul until a black, dog-like Pokémon came bounding down a tunnel towards Azul.

"Hey, Houndoom. What's the word from outside?" Azul asked.

Houndoom made a series of barking and growling noises to answer, Azul nodding all the while.

"Really?" Azul asked, sounding shocked. Houndoom barked once in confirmation before Azul turned to the four. "Would you four like to run to the Lake of Rage with me before we go to Mahogany? I want to check out some rumors Houndoom heard."

"Sure!" Deka replied instantly.

Clover, Free, and Heather glanced at each other, remembering it had been Deka who was too tired to walk any further, but now he was ready to go again.

Two hours of walking later, the trainers navigated their way out of Mt. Mortar with the help of Azul and had made it through Mahogany Town and up to Lake Rage.

"Why are we here?" Free asked.

Azul glanced around, looking at the surroundings. The lake was crystal clear and reflected the setting sun in the west. Out in the middle of the lake, the water splashed occasionally and a Magikarp would surface for a moment before diving back down.

"Houndoom had heard there was a red Gyarados here, but I don't see anything," Azul replied, sighed.

Then, something caught his eye. In the middle of the lake, there was a tower, but the top had been destroyed.

"That's weird," Azul frowned. He looked towards the setting sun. It was getting too dark out to investigate. "I'll have to check this out tomorrow. It's getting dark. Let's head back to the Pokémon Center."


	74. Free vs Pryce

**Free's Pokémon**

**Chikorita - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Vine Whip, Body Slam and Solarbeam (Only on occasion) - Level 49**

**Wooper - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Mud-Slap, Yawn, and Iron Tail - Level 42**

**Quilava - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Flame Wheel, Rollout, Flamethrower, and Smokescreen - Level 47**

**Umbreon - Ab: Synchonize - Moves: Dark Pulse, Quick Attack, Bite, and Shadow Ball - Level 45**

**Heracross - Ab: Moxie - Moves: MegaHorn, Aerial Ace, Brick Break, and Endure - Level 45**

**Teddiursa - Ab: Guts - Moves: Fury Swipes, Protect, Brick Break, and Slash - Level 44**

***With Elm***

**Poliwhirl - Ab: Damp - Moves: Dynamicpunch, Water Gun, Bubblebeam, and Hypnosis – Level 43**

**Onix - Ab: Sturdy - Moves: Dragonbreath, Rock Slide, Screech, and Bide - Level 47**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventy-Four - Free vs. Pryce<strong>

Free and Heather woke early the next morning, much like they did every day they had an upcoming gym battle.

To their surprise, Azul was already awake as well. He sat in Mahogany's Pokémon Center's cozy lobby reading Pokémon Trainer magazine. What shocked the trainers even more, thought, was Azul's hair. It had been scraggly and hung past his shoulders only the day before, and it was now combed and trimmed to a shaggy length. His beard was also gone, making him look like the sixteen-year-old boy he was.

Deka and Clover came stumbling out down the hallway, rubbing their tired eyes, just as Azul looked up at the young trainers.

"Good morning!" He said cheerily.

Clover gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, also surprised by Azul's change in appearance. Suddenly, she blushed. Deka looked back at her and groaned. Clover was batting her eyelashes in a flirty manner at Azul.

"You don't look like a hobo anymore!" Clover said.

"Yeah, my face is so soft now," Azul smiled, feeling at his jaw line and upper lip. He then turned his head to face Heather and Free. "You two ready for your battle?"

They nodded in response, both with a determined look in their eyes.

"My grandpa is an early-riser, so he's probably up by now. I called him last night to say we were in town, but I forgot to tell him we were coming in for a battle!" Heather replied. "I hope he's ready."

"Yeah," Free agreed. "We haven't had a gym battle since Cianwood. I'm pumped."

With those words, Azul hopped up and stretched, his back creaking and popping with each bend, giving the impression he had been sitting in the lobby for quite a while.

"Let's get going, then," Azul said. "I can't wait to see this!"

Azul led the way out of the Pokémon Center, the four other trainers following behind like ducklings following their mother. He seemed to know exactly which way the gym was and led them through the front doors.

An old man and an old woman were sitting in the lobby talking. The woman had a Swinub resting on her lap. They turned towards the door as it swung open.

"Grandma Sheila! Grandpa Pryce!" Heather shouted, hugging her grandparents tightly.

"Heather!" Pryce exclaimed, ruffling his granddaughter's hair. "You're here earlier than I expected."

"Yes. If I knew you were going to be here this early, I would have started baking the cookies earlier. I haven't even started yet," Sheila added. "I know how much you love them! I even made enough for all your little friends. Would you like to introduce them to us?"

"You didn't have to make me cookies, grandma," Heather said, smiling. She pointed at each of her friends in turn, saying their names, "Free, Clover, Deka, Azul!"

"Nice to meet you!" Heather's friends said, bowing slightly to her grandparents.

"Azul?" That name rings a bell…" Pryce said thoughtfully.

"That's because he is—" Heather started to say, but Azul nudged her and shook his head slightly, silently pleading her not to reveal who he was. She left the sentence hanging and decided to change the subject instead. "Grandpa! Free and would like to challenge you to a gym battle!"

Pryce's eyes opened in shock. Then, he smiled, forgetting all about Azul.

"I knew it would only be a matter of time before you showed up here for a battle!" Pryce replied. "Let's have some fun, shall we?"

Pryce led the trainers through a hallway and onto the battlefield. It was completely covered in ice.

"Who wants to go first?" Pryce asked.

"I will!" Free volunteered before Heather even got a chance to open her mouth.

"Sheila, dear, could you referee?" Pryce nodded at his wife who was now going to be playing referee for the match.

"Right. This battle will be a one on one Pokémon battle between the Gym Leader Pryce and the challenger Free. No time limit. Begin!"

"Go, Piloswine," Pryce threw a ball to the center of the field. A great ball of brown fur with two tusks and a pig nose appeared with a flash of white light.

"Teddiursa, let's go!" Free shouted, throwing his ball as well.

"Urr…?" Teddiursa cooed as it emerged, sticking her paw in her mouth.

"Teddiursa, try a fury swipes!" Free made the first move, not yet having a strategy, but hoping to form one once he saw how Pryce battled.

Teddiursa charged at Piloswine, claws ready to swipe.

"Push it away with a tackle attack," Pryce ordered calmly. The ball of fur backed up a little before ramming into the charging Pokémon. Because of the Piloswine's size, it threw Teddiursa back quite a bit.

"Mist!" Pryce yelled. Piloswine snorted in response and a thick, white, icy mist filled the gym.

"Uh oh, we can't see!" Heather said. "It's too misty to see where Piloswine is…"

"Stay still and try to sense any movement, Teddiursa!" Free told his Pokémon.

"Powder snow time," Pryce smirked.

The attack came out of nowhere. It blended with the mist, but pushed it away as a cold, snowy wind blew at the bear Pokémon.

"Teddiursa!" Free shouted, concerned about his Pokémon.

Teddiursa stood in the spot where Piloswine had sent her flying. Her arms were now coated with ice. She waved them up and down, but Free could tell the ice was heavy on them.

"Oh no! What will he do?" Clover squealed.

"Hmm… if that Teddiursa has a Quick Feet ability this status ailment could be useful for Free," Azul noted.

"Quick Feet ability?" Deka and Heather asked.

"Yeah, if the Pokémon has a status problem, it becomes faster," Azul explained.

"Ohhh…" The three other trainers nodded.

The heavy ice on Teddiursa gave Free an idea.

"Teddiursa, slash!" Free commanded.

If Teddiursa did indeed have a Quick Feet ability, she could make it to Piloswine before he had a chance to use tackle again, plus use the heavy ice on Teddiursa's arm to make her slash attack more effective.

Free was right. Teddiursa was quick on her feet and had slashed at Piloswine, who howled in pain.

"Piloswine! Earthquake!" Pryce demanded after Piloswine quieted.

The ground began to tremble very little, but soon the whole floor was shaking violently. The four onlookers held onto each other desperately in hopes of staying standing.

"Quick, protect, Teddiursa!" Free shouted.

Teddiursa surrounded itself in a green orb of energy, protecting her from the quaking floor.

"It's time for brick break!" Free called out once the floor stopped shaking.

"He's got him now, huh, Deka?" Clover asked her brother.

"Looks like it, Clover," Deka replied.

Teddiursa was still in front of Piloswine, so she only had to make one swift movement to attack.

"Piloswine, endure!" Pryce ordered desperately, right before Teddiursa's attack hit.

However, Piloswine's attack failed. The hit from brick break did much damage and Piloswine slumped, unmoving.

"Wow, endure failed on its first use," Deka commented. "That's rare."

"Usually if it's used in succession, it has less of a chance to work. Also, if Piloswine were to have used protect or detect it would have increased the chance of failure," Azul told Deka and Clover. "But man, it's great to see other people battle again!"

"Piloswine is unable to battle! Victory goes to Free!" Sheila announced, holding up a flag. Free and Pryce returned their Pokémon and Pryce walked across the field to Free, rummaging through his pockets.

"Ah! Here we are, a Glacier Badge! You earned it," Pryce smiled, handing Free the badge. "It does my heart good to see youth doing great things."

"Thank you," Free grinned, putting the Glacier Badge with his others. "That's seven!"

"Now, if you give me a moment Heather, I'm going to the back room to heal Piloswine. In thirty minutes, we should be able to have our battle."

"Yay!" Heather cheered, ready for the upcoming battle.

* * *

><p><strong>AN OOO snap! So, Free wins his 7th badge! Will we be able to say the same thing after the next chapter for Heather?**

**1) What do you predict will happen in the next chapter?**

**2) IF both Heather and Free make it to the Silver Conference, who do you think will go farther, and why?**


	75. Heather vs Grandpa Pryce

**Heather's Pokémon**

**Totodile - Ab: Torrent - Moves: Water Gun, Frost Breath, Rage, Headbutt, and Hydro Pump (Only on occasion) Level 48**

**Ampharos - Ab: Static - Moves: Thundershock, Charge, Thunder Bolt, and Discharge - Level 46**

**Muk - Ab: Sticky Hold - Moves: Sludge, Fire Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Sludge Bomb - Level 39**

**Misdreavus - Ab: Levitate - Moves: Shadow Ball, Psywave, Perish Song, and Pain Split - Level 45**

**Girafarig - Ab: Sap Sipper - Moves: Shadow Ball, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, and Energy Ball - Level 45**

**Sneasel - Ab: Keen Eye - Moves: ? - Level 49**

**With Elm:**

**Chinchou - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Zap Cannon, Water Pulse – Level 35**

**Jolteon - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thundershock, Pin Missile, Sand-Attack, and Double Kick - Level 37**

* * *

><p>Chapter Seventy-Five - Heather vs. Grandpa Pryce<p>

It was now Heather's turn to battle. Pryce returned from the back room thirty-minutes later as he said he would. Both the gym leader and the trainer took their respective places on the field.

"Are you ready for this, grandpa?" Heather asked with a giddy look on her face. Her hand was clasped securely over Totodile's Poké Ball, ready to yank it off of its necklace. Sneasel stood by her side, giving a challenging look to Pryce.

"I'm ready, Heather. As ready as I'll ever be at this old age," Pryce replied, chuckling. "But I expect you not to go easy on your tired ol' grandpa, okay Heather?"

"I won't hold back!" Heather grinned.

"And neither will I! Piloswine, go!" Pryce shouted, throwing Piloswine's ball.

"Totodile!" Heather said, detaching the ball from her necklace and tossing it out. "You can do this!"

Both Pokémon appeared with a flash of bright light and the Poké Balls boomeranged back to their trainers.

"Right. This battle will be a one on one Pokémon battle between the Gym Leader Pryce and the challenger Heather Glacies. No time limit. Begin!"

"Since you're my granddaughter, you can have the first move," Pryce smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Alright, Totodile. Give him your water gun," Heather commanded. Theoretically, a water-type attack should be super-effective against Piloswine. She just wasn't sure exactly how strong Totodile's attack was going to be on grandpa's Piloswine, but she hoped it would have some effect.

Pryce let the water wash over Piloswine. It had little effect. Piloswine shook himself like a wet dog, water spraying in every direction.

"Tackle!" Pryce called out.

Piloswine backed up a bit before charging at Totodile. Heather's mind went blank. Water gun hadn't worked, and ordering an ice fang wouldn't do much either. She hadn't been in a gym battle for a long time, and she was frozen from the fear of disappointing her grandpa by losing to him.

"Totodile?" Totodile looked back warily at Heather, asking her what he should do. Heather opened her mouth as Piloswine rushed Totodile.

Totodile looked back to the charging Pokémon. His tail gave a metallic glow, and he whipped around once, smashing his tail into the large, fluffy Pokémon.

"What was that?" Heather gasped.

"Looked like iron tail!" Azul shouted, the same moment Free answered, with his Pokédex in hand, "It was an iron tail!"

Heather grinned, happy her Pokémon had learned such a cool new move. She did, however, wonder where Totodile had picked it up from.

"Give him another iron tail!" Heather shouted. One again, she knew from a type-matchup perspective, the attack should be super-effective. Iron tail seemed to have a greater effect than water gun had, though.

Totodile grinned before whipping his shining tail around once more into Piloswine. The impact sent Piloswine skidding on the ice back towards Pryce.

"Piloswine, earthquake," Pryce commanded coolly.

"Pilo, Pilo!" Piloswine snorted before the ground started to rumble.

"Try and stay on your feet, Totodile!" Heather yelled over the sound of shaking ground. The ice covering the gym floor had withstood one previous earthquake attack, but now it was cracking, leaving shards of pointed, glassy ice sticking every which way out of the floor. Icicles fell from the ceiling and Totodile hastily dodged them, which was quite hard to do on the quaking floor.

Once the attack subsided, Totodile stood trembling, almost unable to move.

"Piloswine, powder snow attack!" Pryce ordered.

Piloswine shorted, and the same gusty, snowy wind that had been used on Teddiursa during Free's battle filled the gym. Totodile shivered, but the attack didn't have much effect. Heather suspected Pryce was trying to freeze Totodile like he had frozen Teddiursa.

"Can you move, Totodile?" Heather asked her Pokémon. Totodile nodded back vivaciously, giving Heather all the reassurance she needed that Totodile could still battle. Suddenly, Heather heard Pryce shout something, but she missed it.

"Totodile!" Heather called out in alarm. A large, silver energy ball was forming in front of Piloswine's snout.

"Now, let it go, Piloswine! Ancientpower!" Pryce yelled.

"Ancientpower? That means Piloswine…" Azul muttered, not finishing his sentence.

"Dodge, Totodile!" Heather called out as the ball shot at Totodile.

Totodile dove out of the way, but the attack blasted his left side. The small Pokémon was thrown back to Heather's feet.

"No!" Heather screeched. Totodile did not move. "Totodile, try to get up, please?"

Sheila sighed sadly. "Totodile is un—"

"Wait!" Pryce shouted, stopping his wife from making the call.

Totodile had started to glow bright white and his form began to grow.

"He's evolving!" Deka shouted in awe. "About friggin' time!"

"Croconaw!" The newly evolved Pokémon croaked, now back on his feet.

"I have a Croconaw!" Heather said excitedly. Hope bubbled in her chest, and she smiled broadly.

"Oh no, look at Piloswine!" Clover squealed. The trainers turned to Piloswine, who was glowing white and expanding at a rapid pace.

"Mamo!" Mamoswine cried.

Heather's smile faltered. She thought she was going to have an advantage with a stronger Pokémon, but now her grandpa's Pokémon was even stronger than before.

"Mamoswine, give them an ice beam!" Pryce ordered.

"Dodge, and try an ice fang!" Heather shouted quickly.

"Croconaw!" Croconaw let out a battle cry, easily dodging the ice beam with new found speed. He proceeded towards Mamoswine, his jaws icy, and bit into Mamoswine's leg.

"Mamo!" Mamoswine howled, shaking the leg Croconaw had attached himself to.

Croconaw did not release; his jaws were too powerful. Soon, Mamoswine's leg was covered in ice, freezing him to the cracked ice around him.

"Alright Croconaw, it's time to give it your all with hydro pump!" Heather commanded.

"That Croconaw already knows hydro pump?" Azul asked himself out loud, sounding impressed.

"Heather may not always seem like a great trainer, but she does know what she's doing… sometimes," Deka smiled fondly.

"Croc, Croconaw!" Croconaw bellowed, his jaw gaping.

He shot a massive blast of continuous water at the giant mammoth Pokémon who was still frozen to the ground. Pryce didn't make a move. There was nothing could think of to do. The attack landed head on.

"Mamoswine…" Pryce moaned, sounding defeated. Croconaw closed his mouth, ending the attack. Mamoswine kneeled, his eyes closed, unmoving.

"Mamoswine is unable to battle! Victory goes to Heather!" Sheila exclaimed. She had the biggest grin Heather had ever seen on her face. When Heather looked towards Pryce, he was smiling just as wide, making his face look all the more wrinkly.

"Here you are, a Glacier Badge!" Pryce grinned as he made his way towards Heather. He pulled her into a bear hug. "I am so proud to be your grandfather."

"Thanks, grandpa," Heather muttered happily into her grandpa's chest.

* * *

><p><strong>AN It finally happened! Totodile evolves!**

**What did you think about the evolution?**

**Is Chikorita next?**

**What are your predictions about the groups' Pokemon evolving?**


	76. A Lost Croconaw

**Heather's Pokémon**

**Croconaw - Ab: Torrent - Moves: Water Gun, Frost Breath, Rage, Headbutt, and Hydro Pump (Only on occasion) Level 50**

**Ampharos - Ab: Static - Moves: Thundershock, Charge, Thunder Bolt, and Discharge - Level 47**

**Muk - Ab: Sticky Hold - Moves: Sludge, Fire Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Sludge Bomb - Level 40**

**Misdreavus - Ab: Levitate - Moves: Shadow Ball, Psywave, Perish Song, and Pain Split - Level 46**

**Girafarig - Ab: Sap Sipper - Moves: Shadow Ball, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, and Energy Ball - Level 46**

**Sneasel - Ab: Keen Eye - Moves: ? - Level 49**

**With Elm:**

**Chinchou - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Zap Cannon, Water Pulse – Level 37**

**Jolteon - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thundershock, Pin Missile, Sand-Attack, and Double Kick - Level 40**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventy-Six - A Lost Croconaw<strong>

The five young trainers had just stepped outside the Mahogany gym when Pryce came bursting out of the doors after them, a Swinub in his arms. It was the same Swinub that had been on Sheila's lap earlier.

"Heather, wait!" Pryce called after them. Heather ran back to her grandpa, Croconaw and Sneasel beside her, not wanting to make her grandpa walk anymore than he had to. "I wanted to give you this Swinub." Pryce explained, putting the Swinub in her arms.

"Swi! Swinub!" The Pokémon said, cuddling up to her.

"Aww, thank you Grandpa," Heather cooed, nuzzling the furry Pokémon. She reached for a Poké Ball and gently touched it to the Pokémon. The ball absorbed it and let out a ding. The ball dematerialized, and Heather knew it had been sent to Professor Elm's lab for safe keeping.

"It's Mamoswine's son, you see. He wants to be like his father and go traveling, I do think," Pryce smiled. "And who better to send it with, than you? Sheila and I can't take him out like he wants."

"I have six Pokémon with me already, but I promise I will train with Swinub when I can," Heather grinned.

"Well, I guess that's all!" Pryce said cheerily. "I don't want to stop you on your journey any longer! Keep moving forward, Heather."

"Bye, grandpa! Watch out for me at the Silver Conference!" Heather replied, waving as she walked away with her friends.

"It's still early. We can get a start on Ice Path to Blackthorn," Free said. He was holding Heather's PokéGear and looking at its map feature.

"I guess this is where we split up, then," Azul sighed sadly. "I have some more investigation to do at the Lake of Rage."

"Awww," Clover whined, tugging on Azul's arm. "Please travel with us a little more."

"I wish I could, Clover," Azul smiled, gently pulling the girl into a hug. "But I have important things to take care of. I'll see you all at the Silver Conference, I presume?"

"Of course!" Deka grinned. "I can't wait to see you battle!"

Azul laughed before turning the opposite direction, waving behind him.

Eventually, the trainers got to the edge of town. There was a decent sized mountain in between Mahogany Town and Blackthorn City, but Ice Path was a cave path through the mountain.

"It's dark in there," Clover pouted. "We always go through dark places."

"You'll be fine," Deka said, sounding annoyed, taking the first step into Ice Path.

The first step inside Ice Path was like walking into a freezer. Icicles hung from the cave roof and the ground was coated in slippery ice. Heather shivered, but Sneasel and Croconaw seemed pleased with the place.

"Croconaw!" Croconaw cried, playfully skating on the ice. He skated up to Chikorita, but she turned away, refusing to look at him.

"What's wrong with those two?" Free wondered aloud.

Croconaw's happy demeanor faded, but lit up just as quickly. He took the lead in front of the trainers, gesturing for them to follow him.

"Maybe Croconaw knows his way through," Clover said excitedly. She wanted to be out as fast as possible.

Croconaw skated along the ice, Chikorita still ignoring him. He spun in a circle with his arms wide, much like a figure skater. Then, Croconaw fell, skidding across the ice.

"Croconaw! Be careful!" Heather shouted, but it was too late. As Croconaw slid towards the cave wall, he fell through a hole in the ice. "Croconaw!" Heather yelled in alarm.

The trainers hastily made their way towards the hole and looked down. There seemed to be another tunnel beneath the ice. Croconaw, however, was nowhere in sight.

"Croconaw?" Heather called down the hole. There was no response. "Oh no! I've lost Croconaw! What should I do?" Heather wailed.

"Sneasel!" Sneasel patted her on the back consolingly. Heather looked up at her Pokémon. "Sneasel, Sneasel!" Sneasel said to her, rummaging through Heather's bag and grabbing a Poké Ball. Sneasel pressed the button and Misdreavus appeared with a flash of bright light.

"Misdreavus?" Misdreavus asked, confused as to why she was called out. Sneasel pointed at Swablu and said something, causing Swablu to flutter off Clover's head.

"I think Sneasel is trying to get our Pokémon that are less likely to slip on ice, floating ones like Misdreavus and flying ones like Swablu, to help look for Croconaw!" Free observed. Sneasel nodded, pleased someone had caught on to her idea.

"Right, then," Deka rummaged for his Poké Balls. "Koffing, Noctowl, Scyther, Beedrill, help us look for a path to Croconaw!" Deka said, throwing the balls.

"Heracross, help us too!" Free threw his Poké Ball.

"Alright, split up and look for Croconaw," Heather commanded. "Use an attack on the walls of whatever path you go down so you can find your way back."

The Pokémon let out cries of understanding before hurrying off in packs.

"I really hope we can find him," Heather murmured, her voice cracking and eyes filling with tears.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Oh snap!**

**I really don't know what to write in these anymore. Haha. I know it was a short chapter, but it will pick up in the next one. We're getting close to the Silver Conference. That is, if Free and Heather are allowed to compete in it.**


	77. Croconaw's True Potential

**Free's Pokémon**

**Chikorita - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Vine Whip, Body Slam and Solarbeam (Only on occasion) - Level 50**

**Wooper - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Mud-Slap, Yawn, and Iron Tail - Level 43**

**Quilava - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Flame Wheel, Rollout, Flamethrower, and Smokescreen - Level 48**

**Umbreon - Ab: Synchonize - Moves: Dark Pulse, Quick Attack, Bite, and Shadow Ball - Level 46**

**Heracross - Ab: Moxie - Moves: MegaHorn, Aerial Ace, Brick Break, and Endure - Level 46**

**Teddiursa - Ab: Guts - Moves: Fury Swipes, Protect, Brick Break, and Slash - Level 45**

***With Elm***

**Poliwhirl - Ab: Damp - Moves: Dynamicpunch, Water Gun, Bubblebeam, and Hypnosis – Level 44**

**Onix - Ab: Sturdy - Moves: Dragonbreath, Rock Slide, Screech, and Bide - Level 48**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seventy-Seven - Croconaw's True Potential<strong>

"It's getting colder," Heather noted as the trainers delved deeper into Ice Path. So far, they had caught no sign that Croconaw had been through any of their tunnels. Occasionally they'd find a tunnel their Pokémon had been through, and when the path forked, they took the tunnel they had not been down.

"Jynx, Jynx, Jynx!"

The trainers froze.

"Did you hear that?" Free whispered. "I heard voices coming from down there." Free pointed down a rather large passageway.

"Jynx!" The voices chanted. "Jynx, Jynx, Jynx!"

"Deka, go down there and investigate!" Clover squealed, pushing her brother down the path.

"Alright, alright, don't push!" Deka muttered, leading the others down the path. Suddenly, Deka screamed. "Go back, guys, go back!"

"Jynx!" Several Pokémon with long blonde hair and red dresses came gushing out of the tunnel. They surrounded Deka in a circle, making kissy faces.

Deka screamed loudly, his voice high pitched. Icicles trembled then fell from the ceiling.

"Deka, be quiet!" Free shouted. "You could make this cave… well, cave in!"

Deka didn't listen, he screamed louder and higher. The icicles began to fall around the Jynx, causing them to scatter away. A small boulder fell from the ceiling, followed by more small boulders. They fell around the trainers, who huddled close to the wall. Dirt and ice fell from the ceiling, clouding their vision. When the rocks and debris ceased falling, the trainers realized they were trapped against the wall. Luckily, none of them were hurt besides a few scratches and place where small bruises would form.

"Now what?" Clover screeched, pushing at the rocks.

"Don't! You might cause them to fall in on us!" Heather told her. She turned to Deka, scowling. "This is your fault. If you wouldn't freak out all the time in caves, we would have saved ourselves a lot of trouble!"

"Whatever," Deka mumbled. He was sitting against the wall, drawing patterns in the fallen dirt with his finger.

"I have an idea," Free announced abruptly. "Let's call for help. Our Pokémon might hear us. They're strong enough to help us out."

"Help!" The trainers began calling out. Not too loud, though, trying not to cause another rockslide. After ten minutes with no prevail, the trainers grew weary and laid against the wall, lazily calling help.

"We're gonna die here," Clover cried. "We're gonna die!"

"We're not going to die, Clover," Deka said angrily.

"Yes we are!" Clover shouted. "We're going to die here, and it's all your—"

"Croconaw!" A voice called from outside the rock wall.

"Shh, guys! I think that was Croconaw!" Heather said, interrupting Clover. "Croconaw! We need help! We're stuck back here! Do you think you can lift the rocks?"

"Croconaw," Croconaw answered.

Heather took this as a yes. The rocks began shifting slightly, and Croconaw was grunting with strained effort. As one rock was lifted, the wall began to tumble in towards Heather. She screamed as a particular large rock fell in front of her, followed by several smaller ones, confining her even closer to the wall and separating her from the others, who were probably freed now.

"Croconaw, help me!" Heather screeched, starting to hyperventilate. She didn't like being cramped in small spaces.

"Heather, Croconaw is glowing!" Free called from the outside. "I think he's evolving again!"

"Gator," a deep voice bellowed from outside the rocks. Minutes later, Feraligatr had managed to pick up the enormous boulder that was mainly trapping Heather with his massive jaws.

"Feraligatr! You're my hero!" Heather wailed, hugging her Pokémon-who was now three feet taller than her-close. Feraligatr hugged her back before picking her up and setting her on his shoulder.

"Chika!" Chikorita cried, nuzzling into Feraligatr's leg.

"Look! I guess Chikorita likes him again!" Free pointed out.

"Maybe she didn't like Croconaw because he was kind of chubby," Clover suggested.

A few hours later, the trainers had regained their Pokémon, who had come running at the sounds of their calls for help, but had been much farther down the path than Croconaw had been, and made it minutes after Heather was freed. After what seemed like forever, the trainers made their way out of Ice Path. It was late in the afternoon as they arrived in Blackthorn City and stopped to eat a very late lunch before checking out the location of the gym.

"Race you there!" Free shouted randomly to Heather as the trainers approached the gym an hour later.

"No fair, you got a head start!" Heather giggled. Sneasel, however, beat everyone to the doors. Free smacked into them seconds later.

"Ouch! Why are the doors locked?" He whined, rubbing his smashed face.

"It says closed," Deka said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Look here. There's a poster advertising a battle between Koga of the Elite Four and some Johto gym leader named Fai taking place tomorrow. I supposed they're preparing the battlefield today."

"Fai?" Free's eyes darted frantically over the poster. "He's my brother!"

"I guess we'll have to go see the battle tomorrow, then!" Heather decided. "We'll worry about our last gym battle later."

* * *

><p><strong>AN And Croconaw evolves! And Free finds that his brother is going to be battling Koga!**

**Now on the issue with Croconaw evolving really early, keep in mind, he is level 50. Both times he evolved was for Heather. So, he is a good Pokemon.**

**Q1) Will the group stay in Blackthorne to take on Clair, or will they go to Cherrygrove instead?**

**Q2) Anyone forget about Fai?**


	78. Fai vs Koga

**Chapter Seventy-Eight - Fai vs. Koga**

The trainers wasted the rest of their day away, anxious to see the battle the next day. After visiting the gym, they had run to the Blackthorn Pokémon Center to purchase tickets. The battle was at one in the afternoon the next day.

Free lay awake in his bed in the Pokémon Center that night, Chikorita cuddled into his side. He watched Feraligatr sleep protectively on the floor next to Heather, his new, almost eight feet long, form taking up most of the small room. He listened to Clover's Swablu let out soft cooing noises as she slept. The anxiety of watching the upcoming match between his older brother and Koga was killing him.

Free sighed loudly into the dark room.

"Shut up..." Deka whined loudly, his voice slurring with sleep. Free wasn't sure if he was awake or just talking in his sleep, and decided not to be too offended by Deka's words this time.

After many long moments of staring at the ceiling, Free fell into a half-sleep. Imaginary battles between Fai and Koga flashed in front of his eyes more like pictures than dreams.

The next thing he knew, Heather was nudging him awake.

"What?" Free groaned, looking around for Chikorita who was no longer by his side. He saw she was now snuggled against Feraligatr, the water-type's tail wrapped around her form, and wondered for a second why she'd bother to do that.

"We slept in late. The battle starts in forty minutes. We have to get up so we can eat lunch and get a good seat," Heather explained. She was already dressed. "Clover and Deka are already out in the lobby waiting for us."

"What?!" Free screeched, falling out of bed and scrambling to his feet. He threw off his pajamas and tugged on his day clothes. The trainers returned their Pokémon and ran to the lobby to meet up with their friends.

After a quick lunch, courtesy of the Blackthorn City Pokémon Center, the trainers rushed to the gym to get good seats.

The Blackthorn gym's stadium was unlike any other stadium the trainers had been in so far. It looked much like a professional tournament stadium with towering stands and a field with changeable terrain. Heather and Free imagined it to be much like the Silver Conference stadium.

Free, Heather, Deka, and Clover stumbled over the legs and concession stand purchases of the spectators already seated, trying to get a seat with a good view of both sides. Clover took a seat, but Heather, Free, and Deka stayed standing. They knew they would stand in excitement as soon as the battle started and would stay standing the entire match.

"Why are you sitting, Clover? Stand up. You don't want to miss this," Deka yanked his sister up, causing Swablu to flap her wings angrily on top of Clover's head.

"Ouch, Deka!" Clover said, swatting at her brother angrily. "I was going to stand when it started!"

"It's starting now!" Free said as the referee took her place at the side of the field and a large board turned on, displaying a picture of Koga and a picture of Fai, along with six slots for Pokémon under the trainers' pictures.

"Hello, folks! Thank you for joining us today, either on television or at home! Today we have Johto's own, hot-blooded fire-type Gym Leader, Fai, against the legendary Elite Four member, the poison ninja, Koga! Let's get things started!" An announcer's voice boomed over the crowd, who cheered wildly as the trainers stepped onto the field.

Koga's black, spiked hair greatly contrasted Fai's straight, brown hair. Free automatically ran a hand through his messy hair, trying to make it look neat like his older brother's.

"This match will be a one-on-one battle between Elite Four member Koga and Gym Leader Fai from Cherrygrove City. No time limit," the referee announced.

"Let's see who has the first turn!" The announcer said.

An electronic green and red wheel on the board between the trainers' pictures began to spin. The spinning slowed and landed on green.

"Fai has the first move!" The referee announced.

"Typhlosion!" Fai threw a ball into the field confidently. Typhlosion's picture appeared below Fai's in the first of the six slots.

Free took in the sight. He had not seen Typhlosion in forever. Fai had not let him watch him train, and he had not seen the fire-type battle in months. "That's his strongest Pokemon…"

"Toxicroak, let's battle," Koga said coolly, tossing in his own ball. Like Typhlosion, Toxicroak's picture appeared below Koga's picture.

"Well, these Pokémon seem to be some of these trainers' strongest! Fai is known for the power of his Typhlosion, and Koga's Toxicroak is in 'elite' shape," the announcer boomed. Free, Heather, and Clover giggled a little at the announcer's bad pun, but Deka just groaned at it.

"Flamethrower!" Fai commanded the second the referee gave him signal.

"Dodge," Koga said just as quickly, anticipating Fai's move. "Sludge bomb," Koga ordered as Toxicroak jumped in the air, avoiding the red flames spewing from Typhlosion's mouth.

"Wow! What an amazing flamethrower!" The announcer shouted. "Fai is starting this match off with a bang!"

Toxicroak opened his mouth and sent a ball of sludge at Typhlosion while in mid air. The ball collided with Typhlosion's chest, knocking him off balance. Flames ceased from flowing from Typhlosion's mouth.

"Poison jab," Koga said coolly as soon as Toxicroak's feet touched the ground in front of Typhlosion.

Toxicroak's fist glowed purple and bubbled with poison. He took a jab at Typhlosion's belly.

"Rawr!" Typhlosion groaned in pain, bending over.

"That looks like it hurt! What a powerful attack from Koga's Toxicroak," the announcer said.

"Smokescreen," Fai ordered. He seemed to be disregarding the two powerful hits his Pokémon had just taken.

Typhlosion opened his mouth again and released clouds of billowing smoke. The field quickly clouded over, making it impossible for anyone to see.

"Uh oh!" The announcer said. "Looks like the field is clouded over by Typhlosion's smokescreen attack. Is Fai planning to hide from Koga's attack in this black smoke?"

"Dig," Fai said simply as the announcer made comments about the smoke.

When the smoke finally cleared, only a hole was left where Typhlosion once stood.

"Try to sense his ener—"

Koga was cut off as Typhlosion erupted from the ground underneath Toxicroak, knocking the poison-type into the air.

"What a great comeback! Fai has made his first hit of the match!" The announcer boomed.

"Flamethrower!" Fai shouted as Typhlosion scrambled to his feet.

Typhlosion's mouth gaped and the Pokémon shot flames in the air at Toxicroak, hitting him straight on. Toxicroak landed on the ground, hard.

"And that's another hit for Fai! That fall has got to have really hurt Toxicroak," the announcer said.

"Flame charge. Let's end this," Fai commanded, sounding bored.

Typhlosion stomped angrily, falling onto all four feet. Smoke and flames swelled from his back and around his body. Once the fire-type was engulfed in flames, he charged for Toxicroak.

"Dodge!" Koga had not made this move until Typhlosion was about to hit Toxicroak. The frog-like Pokémon swiveled to the side, foreseeing Typhlosion's path. "Brick break," Koga ordered immediately.

Toxicroak's fist lit up once more, this time a bright white. He chopped at Typhlosion, hitting him to the side of the field. Typhlosion lay motionless.

"Is this the end?" The announcer screamed, sounding anxious.

Typhlosion began to twitch and stand as the referee eyed him, and she didn't make the call that he was unable to battle.

"And Typhlosion is back on his feet!" the announcer said. The crowd cheered loudly.

"Flame charge, again," Fai said as soon as his Pokémon stood once more.

Once again, Typhlosion engulfed himself in flames and charged for Toxicroak.

"Hyper beam!" Koga yelled as Typhlosion charged directly at Toxicroak.

Toxicroak opened his mouth, a great ball of yellow-white energy forming. Once the ball was formed enough, he blasted a glowing beam of incredible power at the oncoming Pokémon. The attack hit head on in the middle of the field, causing an explosion.

"What a move!" The announcer screeched. He seemed at a loss for any other words.

When the dust and smoke from the explosion cleared, a standing Toxicroak and a fallen Typhlosion was revealed.

"Typhlosion is unable to battle. Koga is the victor!" The referee announced, holding up a flag to signal Koga's win.

With those words, Fai bowed his head, returned Typhlosion, and exited the stadium.

* * *

><p>AN Two updates in less that ten minutes?! What?!

Q1) Predictions for Free vs. Fai?

Q2) How about Heather vs. Splash?


	79. Change of Plans!

**Clover's Pokémon**

**Torchic - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Ember, Scratch, Flamethrower, and Focus Energy - Level 32**

**Shelgon - Ab: Rock Head - Moves: Headbutt, Dragonbreath, Ember, and Bite - Level 35**

**Swablu - Ab: Natural Cure - Moves: Peck, Sing, Astonish, and Fury Attack - Level 26**

**Espeon - Ab: Synchronize - Moves: Helping Hand, Confusion, Quick Attack, and Swift - Level 30**

**Poliwag - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, and Doubleslap - Level 26**

**Oddish - Ab: Chlorophyll - Moves: Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Acid, and Absorb - Level 26**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 79 - Change of Plans!<strong>

It was late at night and Free couldn't sleep again. He kept replaying Fai's battle with Koga over and over in his mind. Chikorita nuzzled deeper into his side, distracting him for only a second. Free gazed over at Heather who was curled up in her purple Gengar pajamas, breathing softly. He wondered if she was expecting for them to wake early to battle Claire, the Blackthorn City gym leader, the next day.

"Heather…" Free whispered. His friend didn't respond, so he pushed himself out of bed and shook her shoulder.

"Huh? What?" Heather gasped, her eyes flying open. Feraligatr, who slept dutifully by her bed, shifted in his sleep at the noise and grunted. Sneasel sniffed, the noise waking her, and rolled over to glare at Free before going back to sleep.

"Sorry. I just—I've been thinking," Free said.

"Yeah?" Heather asked sleepily, asking him to go on.

"I want to go back to Cherrygrove to battle Fai. I was thinking you might want to go back to Newbark to battle Splash, too," Free explained. "I mean, it's on the way, and we'd still get eight badges…"

Heather was silent for a moment, her sleepy mind trying to process what he had said. Suddenly, she sat up. "Oh yeah! Splash is a gym leader. I almost forgot!"

"So are you okay with it?" Free whispered hopefully.

"Yeah, it's fine. I don't really want to battle Claire anyway. I've heard she's really mean and makes you go into the scary cave behind her gym before she gives you her badge…" Heather replied.

Free smiled. "Alright. I'm going back to bed then. We'll tell Deka and Clover in the morning. G'night, Heather."

"Night, Free," Heather said, resting her head back on her pillow.

The trainers woke early the next day. Deka and Clover still thought they were about to witness their best friends obtain their eighth gym badge, and Free and Heather were thinking about how to break it to them that they had traveled all the way to Blackthorn just to head back to Cherrygrove and Newbark.

"Deka, Clover," Heather and Free started at the same time as they exited the Pokémon Center. The two looked at each other and Heather nodded her head, telling Free to go ahead.

"I've been thinking," Free started.

"That's a new concept," Deka muttered sarcastically. Clover stomped on her foot to get him to be quiet.

Free shot him a glare and began talking again. "Heather and I have been thinking. We've decided not to battle Claire. We want to head down the Route 45, which is south from here. It leads to Route 29 which is in between Cherrygrove City and Newbark Town."

"From there, we'll go to Cherrygrove City where Free will battle Fai for his eighth gym badge. Then, we'll go to Newbark Town so I can battle my cousin Splash for my eighth gym badge. Since Newbark is on the way to Tohjo Falls, which we will need to pass on the way to the Silver Conference," Heather further explained, "it isn't inconvenient."

"I thought the Silver Conference wasn't for another two months?" Clover asked.

"Well there's plenty to do between Newbark and Cherrygrove. We can just hang around for awhile to train and relax," Free replied.

"So… what do you guys think?" Heather asked hopefully.

"Eh, I'm okay with whatever. I think watching Free battle Fai will be more exciting that a battle with Claire anyway," Deka smirked.

"It's fine with me!" Clover exclaimed as Swablu chirped happily on her head.

"Great, we can get on our way now!" Heather cheered. Just then, her PokéGear began to ring. "That's weird. No one ever calls me," she said, hitting the answer Pokémon without checking to see who was calling. "Hello?"

"Hey, Heather!"

"Uh, hello," Heather replied, unsure of who she was talking to. There was a boy on the other line and he sounded vaguely familiar. However, her face reddenned. She didn't like talking to people on the phone when she had no idea who they were.

"Who is it, your boyfriend?" Deka sneered jokingly.

Clover elbowed her brother in the stomach. "Shh! It's rude to talk to people who are already on the phone."

"It's Falkner. The gym leader," the boy explained.

"Oh! Hi, Falkner," Heather grinned at Deka, sticking out her tongue. "What are you calling for?"

"I was wondering if you and Free wanted to have that rematch?" Falkner asked.

"We'd love to, but we're pretty far from Violet City." Heather frowned, disappointed that she probably wouldn't get in another good practice battle.

"That's okay. I can fly on my Pidgeot in…" Falkner trailed off. "Hold on, let me check my schedule."

Heather looked up at the clear blue morning sky as she heard rustling from the other end of the conversation.

"Ah! Where will you be in two weeks from today?" Falkner asked.

"Probably in Newbark Town," Heather replied.

"That's great! I could ask Splash if he'd let us borrow his gym as a battlefield," Falkner laughed.

"He's my cousin, so I could ask. I'm going to battle him soon anyways," Heather offered.

"Awesome. I'll give you another call in two weeks. Later," Falkner said, ending the call.

"Rematch with Falkner in two weeks," Heather told Free, grinning from ear to ear.

"That'll be a great chance to train!" Free cheered.

Deka groaned at the excited moods of his two friends. He couldn't take this much happiness when he was still dead tired. "Yeah, yeah. Celebrate later. We need get going. We've got a long journey ahead of us, eh?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN So, here is three chapters in the span of two days. We should be posting again tomorrow. Or today. It's 1 AM.**

**Q1) What are your predictions for Free and Heather vs. Falkner?**

**Q2) Not too many spoilers, but a Pokemon evolves next chapter. Which Pokemon do you think it will be?**


	80. Farewell Fuzzy Friend!

**Free's Pokémon**

**Chikorita - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Vine Whip, Body Slam and Solarbeam (Only on occasion) - Level 52**

**Wooper - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Mud-Slap, Yawn, and Iron Tail - Level 45**

**Quilava - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Flame Wheel, Rollout, Flamethrower, and Smokescreen - Level 49**

**Umbreon - Ab: Synchonize - Moves: Dark Pulse, Quick Attack, Bite, and Shadow Ball - Level 47**

**Heracross - Ab: Moxie - Moves: MegaHorn, Aerial Ace, Brick Break, and Endure - Level 47**

**Teddiursa - Ab: Guts - Moves: Fury Swipes, Protect, Brick Break, and Slash - Level 46**

***With Elm***

**Poliwhirl - Ab: Damp - Moves: Dynamicpunch, Water Gun, Bubblebeam, and Hypnosis – Level 46**

**Onix - Ab: Sturdy - Moves: Dragonbreath, Rock Slide, Screech, and Bide - Level 49**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eighty - Farewell Fuzzy Friend!<strong>

"In another day, we'll be back in Cherrygrove. Aren't you excited to be going back home, Free?" Heather asked her friend as she looked at the setting sun over the treetops. The group had been traveling for a week now on Route 29, and they were nearing their hometowns.

"I'm anxious," Free replied. "I want to battle Fai, but I'm nervous to, too."

"You don't stand a chance," Deka commented nonchalantly, earning himself a smack from both Heather and Clover. "Unless you use your nervousness to help you win!" Deka added quickly, rubbing his arm where the girls had smacked him.

"You'll do fine!" Clover smiled at Free, who halfheartedly grinned back.

"Roaarrrr! Roar!" A booming voice sounded from inside the trees, scaring off the Murkrow and Hoothoot that were perched in the trees.

"What was that?" Clover squealed, latching onto Deka's arm.

"I don't know, but it sounded—" Heather was interrupted.

"Roar! Roaaaarrr!" The voice cried, now sounding in pain.

"You can't do this to them! They're just poor, cuddly creatures!" another voice said, this time human.

"Jada, Lauren, control those Ursaring! Team Rocket will not be overpowered," a somewhat-familiar male voice shouted. "And shut that long-haired boy up too!"

"Team Rocket?" The four trainers looked around at each other then back into the trees.

"They're hurting Pokémon!" Clover wailed. "They have a human hostage! We have to stop them!"

"Come on, then!" Free exclaimed, running towards the roars and the shouting voices.

It didn't take long for the trainers to reach Team Rocket and the Ursaring. There were six members in all, four of them were recognized as John, Jada, Lauren, and a female member who had battled Deka with a Weepinbell back at Slowpoke Well. Their Pokémon were out of their balls and they all stood around twelve chained-up Ursaring and ten Teddiursa. Next to the Ursaring was a tied-up boy with long, dirty blonde hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. The boy wore a pair of glasses, which were askew on his face.

"Help!" The boy shouted as soon as he saw the four trainers. "You guys gotta help me!"

The trainers froze as the six Team Rocket members turned slowly in their direction.

"Hey! It's those brats that you know, Lauren!" John frowned.

"Uh, hi," Deka said to them awkwardly, grabbing three Poké Balls and releasing Ivysaur, Noctowl and Scyther into battle. He grabbed three more and sent out Sudowoodo, Beedrill, and Koffing.

Sneasel stepped in front of Heather defensively as Heather grasped Feraligatr's Poké Ball. Chikorita jumped in front of Free as he sent out Umbreon, Heracross, and Quilava, and Clover sent out Torchic, Espeon, and Shelgon while Swablu flapped her wings angrily atop her head.

"You're going to battle us?" Lauren sneered. "You do realize we are Team Rocket, right?"

"Never stopped us before," Heather shrugged, finally sending out Feraligatr, Ampharos, Misdreavus, Girafarig, and Jolteon. "And you're outnumbered."

"Roar!" One of the Ursaring shouted. At the noise, Free's Teddiursa popped out of her Poké Ball.

"Urrr…?" Teddiursa said, staring at the others of its kind.

"Aw, what? Is your mommy in there?" John mocked the small bear Pokémon.

"Actually…" the boy with the ponytail started. "I do believe this Teddiursa was once with the pack. I think we lost her once around a farm."

"Lost her?" Free asked. "So Teddiursa belongs with them?" His Teddiursa looked at her pack, appearing distraught.

"Never mind that right now, Free," Heather whispered. "If we intimidate them enough, they might leave without getting into a battle with us."

"Urrr!" Free's Teddiursa screeched before glowing a bright white. She shifted shape, growing taller and broader.

"She—she evolved!" Free said, amazed.

"Roar!" The newly evolved Ursaring shouted as the yellow circle on her chest began to glow. A ball or energy formed in her mouth.

"Get out of the way, that's a hyper beam!" Jada screamed to her fellow members just as Teddiursa released the blast. The Team Rocket members rolled out of the way of the hit, which passed ever so slightly against the chains holding the bear Pokémon.

"The Ursaring are loose! Run!" The woman with the Weepinbell screamed, returning her Pokémon and running into the trees. The other members did so as well, knowing the Ursaring were extremely dangerous when angry. The Ursaring almost started to chase the members farther into the forest, but the boy with the ponytail stopped them.

"Wait! I'm still tied up!" he called, fixing the position of his glasses on his face. One of the Ursaring scratched his head sheepishly before snagging a claw in the rope binding him and ripping the boy free.

"Thanks, guys. My name is Gibby. I take care of this pack of Ursaring," the boy said.

"I'm Free."

"My name's Heather!"

"Deka…"

"Clover!"

"Roar!" Free's Ursaring shouted, running towards the others and embracing one of them.

"I was right! Your Teddiursa—excuse me, Ursaring was part of this pack once. That one she's hugging is her mother."

"Her… mother?" Free said sadly. Ursaring looked back at him at gestured him over.

"Hi," Free said to the Ursaring. "I've taken good care of your daughter, I promise!"

"Roar!" The mother Ursaring said, pulling him into a hug. When she released him, Free turned to his Ursaring.

"Would you… like to go back to your pack? I realize now that you were probably stealing Moo Moo milk because you had lost your family and didn't have food for yourself, but now you can go back to them," Free said sadly.

"Roar?" his Ursaring replied, looking to her mother and back to him.

"It's alright! We'll see each other again. I promise. Watch for me at the Silver Conference if you can, Ursaring!" Free smiled, oblivious to the fact that the Ursaring probably wouldn't have a TV to watch. Ursaring nodded and stood by her pack.

"Well, that settles that. I'm sorry this was such a short meeting. You guys are awesome for saving me and all," Gibby grinned. "But we're running on a tight schedule. Got distracted by being captured and all… We've got places to be. You're going to the Silver Conference? Maybe we'll stop there to watch that."

"That'd be great," Free replied. Then Free and Gibby shook hands before Gibby took his leave.

* * *

><p><strong>AN So, Teddiursa evolved! Everyone seemed to think that it was going to be Chikorita. Don't worry, her time will come. Gibby is based off my real life best friend where I'm from.**


	81. Free vs Fai

**Free's Pokémon**

**Chikorita - Ab: Overgrow - Moves: Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Vine Whip, Body Slam and Solarbeam (Only on occasion) - Level 53**

**Wooper - Ab: Water Absorb - Moves: Water Gun, Mud-Slap, Yawn, and Iron Tail - Level 46**

**Quilava - Ab: Blaze - Moves: Flame Wheel, Rollout, Flamethrower, and Smokescreen - Level 50**

**Umbreon - Ab: Synchonize - Moves: Dark Pulse, Quick Attack, Bite, and Shadow Ball - Level 48**

**Heracross - Ab: Moxie - Moves: MegaHorn, Aerial Ace, Brick Break, and Endure - Level 48**

***With Elm***

**Poliwhirl - Ab: Damp - Moves: Dynamicpunch, Water Gun, Bubblebeam, and Hypnosis – Level 47**

**Onix - Ab: Sturdy - Moves: Dragonbreath, Rock Slide, Screech, and Bide - Level 50**

***With Gibby***

**Ursaring - Ab: Guts - Moves: Fury Swipes, Protect, Brick Break, and Slash - Level 48**

* * *

><p><strong>Free vs. Fai<strong>

"Today is the day," Free told himself, looking at his reflection in the glass door to Fai's gym. The team had arrived in Cherrygrove the day before and had spent the night at Free's house so Free could get a good rest before challenging his brother. Free had also stopped at the Pokémon Center to temporarily exchange some of his Pokémon with Professor Elm.

"You can do it. I know you can," Heather assured him.

"Yeah! Even I think you can," Deka teased, giving Free a slap on the back.

"Free, you're our man! If you can't do it, no one can!" Clover cheered, throwing in random cheerleading movements.

Free smiled at his friends before reaching a shaky hand out to open the gym door. "Here I go, then."

Peering around the room, the trainers saw they were in a small office. A man sat at a computer, typing away.

"Charlie!" Free called out excitedly.

"Free! It's good to see you!" The man hollered as the trainers stepped inside. "Are you visiting your brother?"

"Actually, I'm challenging him to a gym battle," Free replied.

"Oh! I suppose you have been gone awhile. How many badges have you gotten so far?"

"Seven. I want Fai's badge to be my eighth," Free grinned.

"Very well!" Charlie replied. "Go on into the battle arena. I'll let Fai know he has a challenger. I won't tell him who—I'll let him find that out by himself." The man winked at Free before pressing a button that sent a short ringing throughout the building, much like a doorbell.

"Shall we go in?" Heather asked after the ringing stop. Pushing the door to the battle arena open, she entered first.

"Are you the challenger, little girl?" Fai's voice rang out, echoing off the walls of the arena. He was shrouded in darkness, but the trainers could barely make out his silhouette in position on the battlefield.

"Little girl…?" Heather mumbled to herself as Free stepped forward.

"No—I am," Free stated loudly.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't my little brother?" Fai laughed, the gym lights flickering on. "Who knew you'd make it this far to face me?"

"I hoped I would," Free said, grabbing for a Poké Ball.

"Ha. Well, good luck little bro. You're going to need it," Fai smirked. "Charlie! You can come out now!"

Charlie stepped forward, now dressed in a referee costume and took his place at the side of the field.

"How does five-on-five sound, Free?" Fai asked, gripping a Poké Ball.

"Good to me. I'll take down whatever you have coming," Free retorted.

"This match will be a five on five battle between the Gym Leader Fai and the challenger, Free. No substitutions, no time limit," the Charlie announced joyously. "Begin!"

"Charizard!" Fai shouted, throwing his ball.

"Onix, go!" Free yelled at the same time, sending out his Pokémon.

An orange, dragon-like Pokémon with a flame at the tip of his tail appeared. Free's Onix coiled as soon as he appeared and roared at Charizard.

"He's using Onix?" Deka questioned.

Heather nodded. "I guess that he's taking a chance in his power."

"I'll give you the first attack, brother," Fai informed Free.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time! Onix, use strength!" Free ordered.

Onix began to glow a tint of red before lunging himself forward. He wrapped around Charizard and smashed him into the ground. Charizard rolled around and stood back up immediately.

"Fire blast!" Fai commanded.

Charizard took in a deep breath and released a powerful set of flames. The flames connected with Onix, knocking him back.

"No! Onix!"

"Rooooooaaar!" Onix howled. He stood back up straight and coiled, ready to launch once more.

"Use rock throw!" Free ordered.

Onix stuck his tail in the ground and threw the rubble that he had dug up into the air. The boulders crashed onto Charizard, causing the Pokémon to fall back and faint.

"Charizard is unable to continue!" Charlie declared.

The red stream returned Charizard back into his ball.

"That was pretty good thinking on your part. Now I know that you know your type match-ups. How do you fare whenever you're at the disadvantage?" Fai said while he released his next Pokémon. An orange Pokémon with a white mane and a bird-like face appeared.

"Blaziken," Free mumbled.

"Blaziken, use your fire punch!" Fai ordered.

Blaziken lunged forward, fists blazing. He punched Onix in the face, causing Onix to sway back.

"Slam!" Free screamed.

Onix lifted his tail and let it come crashing down upon Blaziken. Blaziken caught the tip of the tail and pushed upwards.

"Double kick!"

Blaziken let go of the tail and leapt into the air. He kicked Onix once in the face before spinning and slamming his other foot into Onix's body. Onix fell limply to the ground, unable to continue.

"Onix is unable to continue!" Charlie announced.

Free returned Onix and drew his next Poké Ball.

"Whenever at a disadvantage, strategy is your greatest ally! Let's go, Umbreon!" Free called, throwing his next Poké Ball into the air. Umbreon appeared and stretched its lanky body. He yawned and stared lazily at Blaziken.

"We'll end this one quickly. Use blaze kick!" Fai commanded.

"Stand your ground!"

Blaziken jumped into the air and his leg turned into flames. He came crashing down onto Umbreon, causing smoke to fill the air. Whenever the smoke cleared, both Pokémon stayed standing. Blaziken fell to the ground, screeching in pain.

"What?!" Fai screamed. "A poison effect?"

"Toxic," Free said calmly.

"Just like against Clock," Deka noted.

"Use dark pulse!" Free ordered.

Umbreon took a deep breath and all lights went out. The lights turned back on, and in a sudden flash, dark energy was released. It crashed into Blaziken, throwing him back. Blaziken crashed into the wall, unconscious.

"Blaziken is unable to continue!"

Behind Free, the door to the gym cracked open slightly. A small, green Pokémon peaked through and watched the two battle.

"That was a pretty well thought out strategy. Putting yourself at an obvious disadvantage but being able to come around is a great way to display your talents," Fai said. "But I won't fall for that one again! C'mon out, Infernape!"

A white and brown ape with flames emerging from his head appeared. He glared at Umbreon and put up his fists.

"Mach punch!"

Infernape lunged forward and thrust his fist into Umbreon's jaw. Umbreon faltered a little bit but stayed strong. Before any of the toxins from Umbreon's body could take effect, Infernape pulled away.

"Oh no!" Free screamed. "Try quick attack!"

Umbreon stumbled but darted forward quickly. He collided with Infernape, but didn't cause any damage.

Fai grinned. "Use your flamethrower!"

With one split movement, Infernape opened his mouth and released a strong set of flames, causing Umbreon to soar backward. Umbreon smacked against the wall then fell to the cold floor.

"Umbreon is unable to continue!"

Free returned Umbreon and smiled. "You did well, my friend. You did your best." He grabbed another Poké Ball and tossed it into the air. Quilava appeared and glared at Infernape.

"Mach punch!" Fai ordered.

Without Free having to make an order, Quilava dodged the attack.

"Flame wheel!" Both trainers commanded at the same time.

Quilava was set aflame and rolled towards Infernape. Infernape did the same. Both Pokémon clashed in the middle of the field, causing a small explosion. Infernape flew out of the smoke and landed on his back. He struggled to stand back up, but Quilava wouldn't let him. Quilava leapt into the air and let out a smooth set of flames from his mouth. The flames engulfed Infernape, forcing him to fall to the ground.

"Infernape is unable to continue!"

Fai returned Infernape and scowled at Free. "I would usually be proud that you have a fire-type to utilize in your group, but you would benefit more if you'd evolve it. Let me show you! Go, Typhlosion!"

A bigger, meaner looking version of Quilava appeared. It stood on his hind legs and roared into the air.

"Typhlosion… That was Fai's starter Pokémon," Free noted to himself. He peered over at Quilava, who was baring his teeth at Typhlosion. "That's right; Quilava hates any Typhlosion."

"This is a true fire-type! I'm going to crush you!" Fai snapped. He was seemingly getting angrier at the battle.

"Quilava, rollout!"

Quilava rolled into a ball and shot forward. He smacked into Typhlosion, but was thrown back.

"Typhlosion, use fire blast!"

Typhlosion took a deep breath in and released hot flames, red and powerful. The flames swooped over Quilava and burned him. Quilava fell to the ground, but stood back up. Quilava shook, not from pain but with fear.

"Quilava, snap out of it!" Free yelled.

Quilava looked back then grinned. "Quilava!"

"Rollout one more time!"

Quilava, once more, rolled into a ball. He zoomed across the field at a faster pace than before, scaring Typhlosion. Typhlosion attempted to maneuver around the attack, but was grazed every time Quilava passed by.

"Flamethrower!" The brothers ordered simultaneously.

Typhlosion gained his footing and released the strongest set of flames that he could muster up. Quilava unrolled in midair and released his own flames. The flames clashed in the middle of the arena, throwing both Pokémon back. When the smoke cleared, both Pokémon were lying flat on the ground.

"Both Pokémon are unable to continue!" Charlie declared, raising up both flags.

Red streaks raced across the field, returning both Pokémon back into their Poké Balls.

"Your Quilava is strong. I am surprised that he was able to do so much damage even after taking on Infernape. But I still have one Pokémon left," Fai said with a mischievous grin. He pulled out his last Poké Ball and pressed the button. "Prepare to lose! Let's go, Emboar!"

A giant, red, pig-like Pokémon appeared. It had a beard of flames that burned angrily. It glared at Free.

"I'm yet to see this Pokémon. I guess that you had a secret weapon to take me on?" Free asked. He had been familiar with all the others, but this one was new.

"You weren't the only one training Pokémon. I figured that our battle would be extra special if I were to capture a new Pokémon and train it."

Free tossed his second to last Poké Ball into the air. Poliwhirl made his first appearance since the Whirl Cup. He looked ready to fight though, punching his hands together and stretching a little bit.

"Poliwhirl, use water pulse!"

Poliwhirl formed a small, blue ball in his hands. He jumped up into the air and chucked it down at Emboar.

"Arm thrust!" Fai yelled.

Without missing a beat, Emboar thrust his arms into the ball, sending it back at Poliwhirl. The small ball hit Poliwhirl dead on, making him crash back to the ground. He stood up slowly, shaking from the pain.

"Dynamicpunch!" Free ordered.

Poliwhirl walked forward, but ended up punching himself in the face.

"It looks like water pulse has caused Poliwhirl to suffer from confusion," Heather stated. She had anxiously began to bite her finger nails.

"Well if you can't attack. I will! Emboar, use heat crash!" Fai ordered. He was now confident a win was within his reach.

Emboar set himself aflame. He leapt into the air as high as he could and came back down, crashing down on the confused Poliwhirl. Whenever he rolled off, Poliwhirl was unable to get back up. He had been squashed by the heavy Pokémon.

"Poliwhirl is unable to continue!" Charlie ruled. "Free, please choose your last Pokémon."

Free returned Poliwhirl into his ball. He tucked it back on his belt and took a deep breath. He looked down at Chikorita, who was his fifth Pokémon.

"Are you ready, Chikorita?"

"Chika!" Chikorita relied. She ran out onto the battlefield and glanced up at the stands, where Feraligatr was watching.

"I knew that ever since I picked Chikorita, it would come down to this. I'm going to prove to you once and for all that my Chikorita is strong! I will defeat you right here with the Pokémon that I chose for my journey!" Free said confidently. "Time to show you my true power!"

"Emboar, let's end this one quickly. Use flamethrower!"

"Dodge it! Then razor leaf!" Free ordered desperately.

Emboar unleashed a massive amount of flames from his mouth. Chikorita ducked and avoided the super-effective attack. She then took off from under the flames and twisted her neck, letting loose the leaf off her head. The leaf smacked into Emboar's stomach, causing him to bend over from pain.

"Now use vine whip!" Free called.

Chikorita's vines raced across the field. They grabbed ahold of Emboar's arms and tried to pick him up. Emboar only smiled and pulled on the vines, bringing Chikorita closer.

"Arm thrust!"

Emboar smashed his arm into Chikorita, sending her flying across the field. Chikorita landed hard and whimpered from pain.

"Now heat crash!"

Emboar leapt into the air, and in the blink of an eye, came down onto Chikorita. He cockily grinned at Free and rolled off of Chikorita. Chikorita lay limp on the ground.

"Chikorita is unable to battle!" Charlie began.

"Chika!" Chikorita cried. She stood back up slowly, taking deep breaths before she cried into the air and began to glow white. Her body morphed and she grew a little bit, into a yellow, quadruped Pokémon with the leaf still on her head.

"Chikorita evolved!" Clover screamed.

"Bayleef…" Free mumbled. "Awesome! You evolved into Bayleef!"

"Bay!" She called. She stamped her front feet and glared at Emboar.

"Resume!" Charlie declared.

"Bayleef, use synthesis!" Free ordered.

Bayleef began to glow a slight yellow tint, absorbing the sunlight from the sunroof.

"Don't let her heal anymore! Use fire blast!" Fai screamed.

Emboar took a deep breath and blast out a dark red flame from his mouth. The flame took the shape of the Japanese lettering for fire.

"Vine whip to jump!" Free called.

"Bay!" She cried while smacking her vines onto the ground. She sent herself into the air, avoiding the strong attack.

"Now solarbeam!" Free screamed.

Bayleef charged the sunlight in her neck. She let loose the bright, strong beam, crashing it into Emboar. Whenever the smoke cleared, Emboar fell to the ground, unable to continue.

"Emboar is unable to continue! The victory goes to Bayleef and Free!" Charlie declared.

"Yes!" the trainers in the stands cried out happily.

Free dropped to his knees. Bayleef ran into Free, giving him a hug. Tears fell from both of their eyes.

Fai walked up slowly and gazed down at his brother. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a gym badge. "This is yours, Free. This is the Flare Badge. You gave me a wonderful battle!"

Free grabbed ahold of his gym badge and hugged Bayleef closer.

"I can't believe that we actually did it!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN And so ends that! In the next few chapters, the group will be getting ready for Heather's battle with Splash.**


	82. A New Team Member!

After Free's battle with Fai, the trainers started on their way to Newbark Town for Heather's next gym battle.

"Man, I feel so pumped right now! Ever since my battle with Fai, I've felt invincible!" Free bragged, admiring his shiny new badge.

"That's about the fifth time you've said that," Deka groaned, shoving his friend lightly. "Really, it was one battle."

"A really hard, really important battle!" Free argued, his smile stretching even larger, pushing Deka back.

"Well, since you're so pumped up, why don't we battle?" Clover asked. "I don't get much training in, so it would be good for the both of us."

"That sounds like a good idea," Heather replied. "It'll ease some of Free's energy..." she muttered to herself. She was ecstatic about her friend's victory, but it only made her more anxious for her final gym battle with Splash.

"Alright. Let's have a quick one-on-one battle then!" Free grabbed for a Poké Ball. The moment he was about to throw it, a green figure jumped from the bushes, knocking the ball out of his hand.

"Larvitar!" The figure shouted, scurrying a few feet away, gripping Free's Poké Ball.

"Hey, give me back my Pokémon!" Free shouted, stepping towards the Pokémon.

"Larvitar!" The Pokémon shook her head, telling Free "no." The Pokémon proceeded to point at Clover and then himself and finally to Free. She kicked mud towards Clover.

"Bay?" Bayleef asked. She began to converse back and forth with Larvitar before trying to converse with Free.

"You're saying that, Larvitar wants to battle with me?" Free asked. Bayleef nodded. "Would that be okay with you, Clover?"

Clover nodded. "It should be fun! I'll use Poliwag!" She released her tiny, blue Pokémon from her ball.

"Okay, Larvitar, use sandstorm!" Free commanded. Larvitar nodded before leaning down and pointing its horn towards Poliwag. A tornado of sand brewed, surrounding Poliwag.

"Poliwag, use water gun to try to water down sandstorm!" Clover ordered.

"Poli!" Poliwag replied. A burst of water shot through the top of the tornado before raining down, soothing the swirling sand.

"Great, Poliwag! Now use bubblebeam!" Clover grinned. Poliwag opened its small mouth, releasing a threatening burst of rainbow-colored bubbles.

"Larvitar, dodge and use rock slide," Free said.

Larvitar sidestepped, but not before taking a few hits from the menacing bubbles. She then swirled her horn in Poliwag's direction. A rock rose from the ground and fell onto Poliwag, raising a cloud of dirt and dust.

"Poliwag?" Clover asked curiously. She didn't know if her Pokémon could handle such a hit, especially with as little experience the Pokémon had. The dust fell back to the ground, and Poliwag lay on the ground, unable to move. "Poliwag, return," Clover said, holding out her Poké Ball.

"Yeah!" Free shouted before speaking to Clover. "You did great Clover. I know Poliwag didn't have much experience."

"Yeah, I guess," Clover half-grinned, sad that she lost but happy to have battled a little.

"Larvitar?" Larvitar tugged at the hem of Free's pants. Free looked down towards her.

"What is it?" Free asked the Pokémon. The Pokémon waived her arms, chanting her name.

"Do you… want to battle with me more?" Free asked. Larvitar nodded vigorously. "So I can capture you?" He continued. Larvitar nodded once more. "Alright!" Free smiled, pulling out an empty Poké Ball and holding it down to Larvitar. Larvitar punched the button before being absorbed into the red light.

"It's really weird how Larvitar came out of nowhere," Heather mused aloud. "I guess we won't find out though, huh?"

"Probably not," Deka answered her. "I don't know about you guys, but I want to get to Newbark before dark so we can rest in a real house again."


	83. Heather's Last Badge

**Heather's Pokémon**

**Feraligatr - Ab: Torrent - Moves: Water Gun, Frost Breath, Rage, Headbutt, and Hydro Pump Level 53**

**Ampharos - Ab: Static - Moves: Thundershock, Charge, Thunder Bolt, and Discharge - Level 50**

**Muk - Ab: Sticky Hold - Moves: Sludge, Fire Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Sludge Bomb - Level 44**

**Misdreavus - Ab: Levitate - Moves: Shadow Ball, Psywave, Perish Song, and Pain Split - Level 49**

**Girafarig - Ab: Sap Sipper - Moves: Shadow Ball, Crunch, Zen Headbutt, and Energy Ball - Level 49**

**Sneasel - Ab: Keen Eye - Moves: ? - Level 52**

**With Elm:**

**Chinchou - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Zap Cannon, Water Pulse – Level 40**

**Jolteon - Ab: Volt Absorb - Moves: Thundershock, Pin Missile, Sand-Attack, and Double Kick - Level 44**

**Swinub – Ab: ? – Moves: ? – Level 25**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eighty-Three<strong>

* * *

><p>The night the four trainers reached Newbark Town, Heather's mom cooked a feast. As the trainers ate and Heather's mom asked her daughter's friends about their travels, a mop of curly brown hair popped in through the dining room entrance.<p>

"Cousin Splash!" Heather shouted excitedly, noticing his presence first and bounding up to the Gym Leader. She jumped into his arms for a big hug.

"How you doin', Heather?" Splash laughed. "What's this about your mom sayin' you were lookin' for a battle?"

"I'm going to defeat you!" Heather announced proudly. From the dinner table, Deka snorted and Clover smacked him upside the head. The actions went unnoticed by Heather as she continued her speech. "I'm going to get my eighth gym badge from you tomorrow!"

"Eight badges? Already?" Splash ruffled the girl's hair. "You've grown up so fast!"

"Yeah! Free just got his eighth from Fai," Heather explained. "So when I get my eighth tomorrow, Free and I are going to do some intense training for the Silver Conference."

"Tomorrow, eh?" Splash laughed again. "We'll see who comes out on top."

Heather's hand shook as she stood across the field from Splash. Gone was the confidence that had consumed her last night, replaced by overwhelming anxiety. She subconsciously clutched Feraligatr's Poké Ball, her knuckles white.

Splash's field reminded her of the Whirl Cup stadium. A large tank of water was inset into the ground and three platforms-a big one in the middle of the pool and a smaller one on either side, close to the trainers' platforms-rose from the water for land battles.

"Are you ready for this?" Free asked his friend quietly, gently rubbing her shoulders.

"Yeah, just nervous," Heather giggled shakily.

"You'll do fine," Free replied before taking a seat in the gym's sideline bleachers with Deka and Clover.

"This battle will be a four-on-four single battle between Splash the Gym Leader and Heather, the challenger." The referee, who was an old family friend and was grinning madly, began his usual generic speech. "No substitutions may be made. Begin!" He threw a wink to Heather encouragingly.

"Tentacruel!" Splash called, throwing out his first Pokémon into the water tank.

"Ampharos!" Heather threw her ball onto the closest land platform to her.

"You're my most favorite cousin, so you can make the first move." Splash crossed his arms, staring Heather down.

"You'll regret it! Grandpa Pryce did the same thing," Heather joked, her voice still shaking slightly, "and he lost! Ampharos, use power gem!"

"Dive into the water!" Splash commanded immediately after the attack was fired. Tentacruel narrowly avoided the light pink beam the shot from the orb on Ampharos' head. "Now, sludge wave."

Tentacruel rose from the depths of the pool, bobbing on the water's surface. Purple sludge, thick and poisonous, oozed from her body and into the water. With one great swipe of the Pokémon's tentacle, the wave of sludge hurled towards Ampharos.

"Discharge!" Heather quickly responded to the attack. She knew there was no way to dodge the immense wave, so she hoped to at least make a break in it.

Ampharos' tail began to glow as she waited for the wave head on. As the toxic wave hit, she released her electrical power as a bursting aura around her. The electricity surged from the wave into the tank, reaching and electrocuting Tentacruel.

"Tentacruel!" Splash yelled out in concern. His Pokémon, however, floated in the water with no will to fight.

"Tentacruel is unable to battle!" the referee said.

Splash returned his Pokémon and threw out his next Pokémon onto the platform closest to him.

"Jynx, Jynx!" The Pokémon called out, flicking her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

On the sidelines, Heather's friends stared into the now contaminated water. The sludge had spread throughout the pool, coating the water's surface. Some of the muck had clumped together and sunk deeper into the water.

"Do you think that the sludge is part of his strategy?" Clover asked Deka and Free. "I think anyone would be poisoned if they were to fall into that."

"I bet you anything his other two Pokémon battle primarily on land," Free said.

"Signal beam!" Heather ordered, calling her friends attention back to the battle.

Splash said nothing, not even seeming to care the bug-type move would be super-effective against his half-psychic-type. Jynx took the hit, only wincing as she did so, but did not fall.

"Jynx, now use avalanche!" Splash commanded. Jynx waved her hands erratically, a frozen glob of sludgy-water rising up before splitting into several icy chunks and hurling towards Ampharos.

"Oh no!" Free and Heather shouted simultaneously as the attack collided with the sheep-like Pokémon.

"What?" Deka and Clover asked Free.

"Avalanche's power doubles if the user has just taken damage, and Ampharos is already badly and probably poisoned from that sludge wave attack," Free explained.

"Ampharos is unable to battle!" the referee announced as Heather returned her injured Pokémon.

Heather thought for a bit, reconsidering her Pokémon choices she had made the previous night. Splash had immobilized her Pokémon as well as his own. They were stuck battling on the platforms which didn't allow much mobility.

"Sneasel!" Heather called to behind her where Sneasel leaned against the wall coolly. "Can you jump across those platforms?"

"Sneasel!" Sneasel scoffed, nodding once. She hopped to the platform closest to Heather and then to the bigger, middle platform with ease.

"Jynx, body slam!" Splash ordered unexpectedly.

"Jynx!" Jynx cried out before charging and jumping to the middle platform, smashing into Sneasel. The hit was almost powerful enough to knock Sneasel into the tainted water, but Sneasel was able to stop herself.

"Metal claw!" Heather commanded as Jynx pulled herself off of Sneasel. Steel encased Sneasel's claws, shining brilliantly in the gym's bright light. With lightning speed, Sneasel clawed at Jynx who cried out in surprise. "Now, shadow claw!"

This time, Sneasel's claws were engulfed in shadows before she took a second swipe at Jynx. The two attacks happened so quickly in succession that Splash didn't have time to respond before Jynx was knocked unconscious into the oozing water.

"Jynx is unable to battle!" the referee held a flag up to Splash.

"You got lucky. Metal claw must have raised Sneasel's attack stat and shadow claw probably got a critical hit. Let's see if you can handle my next Pokémon," Splash rationalized, returning Jynx and throwing another ball to the middle platform. "Slowking, your turn!"

""Another half-psychic-type?" Deka wondered. "But Sneasel is a dark-type."

"Type match-ups aren't everything…" Free muttered, thinking about battling Fai with Chikorita and then Bayleef once she had evolved.

"Flamethrower!" Splash ordered. Slowking opened his mouth as if yawning before a stream of flames burst forth.

"Try to dodge!" Heather told Sneasel. Sneasel dashed to the side away from the flames which went into the water, extinguishing them.

"Uh, be careful with flamethrower, Splash! We don't want the sludge fumes catching fire again," the referee added in from the side.

"Yeah, guess not," Splash laughed nervously. "Focus blast, then!"

"Dodge again. Use punishment!" Heather ordered.

"Sneasel!" Sneasel growled, her claws glowing a dark, threatening purple color. She swiped into Slowking who took the hit.

"How did that not knock him out? The attack should be more powerful after metal claw raise her attack," Heather said to herself.

"Focus blast, again," Splash commanded as Slowking took the hit. Slowking's mouth widened before a beam of bright light shot into Sneasel's face. Sneasel was blasted back to Heather. Immediately, Heather knew Sneasel couldn't take the hit.

"Sneasel is unable to battle!" the referee announced.

"My Slowking is stronger than you think," Splash chuckled.

"We'll see. I've been thinking up a plan." Heather threw out another ball. "Muk!"

"Muuuuk!" The Pokémon squealed happily, diving into the sludge.

"A poison-type against Slowking's psychic?" Splash asked. "You have some guts!"

"Muk and I have been working hard together! He knows some really cool attacks," Heather replied, her confidence finally returning. "Like thunderbolt!"

"Muuuuk!" Muk slithered out of the water and shot bolts of electricity towards Slowking.

"Use psychic to redirect them!" Splash ordered. "Then use water pulse!"

Slowking's body glowed bluish-white as the bolts were shot off of an invisible barrier. As he did so, the water around Muk began to pulse before splashing into him. The sludgy water only seemed to make Muk happier.

"Good job, Muk!" Heather praised the Pokémon. "Try another thunderbolt!" Muk did as told and shot more bolts at Slowking, this time hitting him. Slowking still did not fall from the second super-effective attack that he was hit with. "Now use mud bomb!" Heather added. Muk began to ooze a muddy substance which he gathered in a ball to throw at Slowking.

"Psychic on Muk!" Splash commanded. Slowking nodded before concentrating on the purple Pokémon. Both Muk and Slowking began to glow the same bluish-white before Muk began to cry out, taking heavy damage from the attack.

"Muk is unable to battle!" The referee declared when the attack ended.

"Your Slowking really _is_ a lot stronger than I thought," Heather complimented her cousin and his Pokémon, returning Muk.

"But I saved my best for last," Heather smiled, tugging Feraligatr's ball off of her necklace. "Feraligatr!"

"I knew when I heard you had picked Totodile it was a good choice for you!" Splash commented as the Pokémon emerged from his ball on the middle platform. "Slowking, focus blast!"

"Dodge and use crunch. Fling him in the water!" Heather shouted as Slowking shot the bright beam of light once more from his mouth. Feraligatr was much faster than Slowking's attack and had him in his powerful jaws in seconds before he tossed him into the poisonous water. Slowking floated to the top, unable to get out of the sludgey water.

"Slowking is unable to battle!" the referee said. At the same time, Splash said the same thing quietly in a mocking tone before grinning and waving cheerily to the referee.

"I guess I have no choice but to send out my own Feraligatr, Heather," Splash sighed. "Go!"

Splash's Feraligatr was slightly stockier than Heather's Feraligatr, but Heather's was a couple inches taller. They stared down each other before taking a fighting stance.

"Superpower!" Splash shouted, making the first move. Splash's Feraligatr glowed a bright blue before he rammed into Heather's Feraligatr, knocking him near the edge of the water. Heather's Feraligatr teetered precariously on the edge before gaining his footing once more, and gripping Splash's Feraligatr's hands.

"Push back with a hydro pump!" Heather commanded. Feraligatr's mouth gaped and he shot a huge blast of water into the face of Splash's Pokémon. This time, Splash's Feraligatr lost his footing and fell into the water.

"Quick, get out!" Splash shouted. "Show them your hydro pump!"

"Bide!" Heather ordered. Her Feraligatr glowed a bright light as he took the hit. When it was over, he sent another gush of water at Splash's Feraligatr, this time twice as powerful. Splash's Feraligatr was knocked back into the wall next to Splash.

"Can you still fight, buddy?" Splash asked as Feraligatr struggled to stand. He nodded and hopped back to the middle platform. "Good! Use aqua tail!"

Splash's Feraligatr swiveled quickly, tripping up Heather's Feraligatr and finally sending him into the tainted tank of water. He quickly scrambled up, claws scratching the platform as he hoisted himself to his feet.

"Crunch!" Both Heather and Splash ordered. Both Feraligatr's made to take a bite at each other's neck, but Heather's Feraligatr's height made it harder for Splash's to reach and Heather's Feraligatr bit down first.

"Feraligatr!" Splash's Pokémon cried out before sinking to the gym floor.

"Splash's Feraligatr is unable to battle. Victory goes to the challenger!" The referee grinned at Heather. Splash smiled twice as wide as he usually did and ran around the tank to Heather, digging in his pocket.

"Don't think I went easy on you or anything, but I knew I'd be giving you this today," Splash placed the badge in Heather's hand. "I call it the Splash Badge!"

"You're so full of yourself, Splash," Heather laughed, giving her cousin a hug. Feraligatr leaped across the platform and picked up Heather, happily setting her on his shoulders.

"Gross! You're covered in sludge!"

"Your Feraligatr and you are really good friends, aren't you? No wonder you did so well," Splash commented. "I can't wait to see you and Free battling in the Silver Conference.

"You better plan on it!" Heather answered, rubbing Feraligatr's head gently.

"But for now…" Splash grimaced as the pool's filter started making terrible whirring noises. "I have a pool to clean…"


End file.
